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SINGAPORE: Financial aid may make assisted conception procedures more affordable for childless married couples, but this does not mean it will increase their success rate.
This point was made by Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, in Parliament on Tuesday.
She was replying to a question by MP Lee Bee Wah who had asked if childless couples could be given financial aid for such procedures.
Mrs Yu-Foo said that under the 2004 Marriage and Parenthood package, childless couples could use their own or their spouse's Medisave to pay for the first three cycles of fertility treatment.
And for the majority of couples who undergo such procedures at public hospitals, these withdrawal limits would cover the bulk of the treatment cost.
Mrs Yu-Foo said that what is more important are efforts to raise public awareness on the narrowing fertility window as one ages, as well as the risks associated with delayed childbearing.
Referring to a MCYS 2006 survey, she said 94% of the respondents knew of the difficulties of delayed childbirth compared to 89% for the year before.
However, she said, more could and would be done to raise the awareness level and to transform this awareness into changes in attitude and behaviour. - CNA/ir
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