Overcoming Infertility

Overcoming Infertility



Come celebrations and gatherings, most childless married couples face the feared common questions from loved ones, be it family or friends: 

“Do you have children?”

“Why aren’t you having a baby?”

 “When are you going to give me a grandchild?”

Though these questions may come from a place of concern, they can cause an impeccable amount of stress, or hurt.

What’s worse, the answer to these questions could be just as dreadful, especially if it involves infertility. 

Key Facts

Infertility, as defined by World Health Organisation (WHO), is the inability of a person (either male or female) to reproduce by natural means after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. It is estimated that around 48 million couples and 186 million individuals are suffering from infertility globally [1]. 

Asia has seen a rapid increase in infertility rates over the past 50 years [2]. While countries in these regions have collectively achieved remarkable economic growth and social modernisation, infertility rates have hit an all-time high. 

Among couples of reproductive ages in China, the prevalence of infertility is recorded at 25% [3], in Singapore, it is 15% [4], while in the UK, it is 26% [5]. These figures are based on reported infertility issues alone. No one knows how many more suffer in silence. And there is no denying that global infertility rates will only continue an upward trend.

Causes of Infertility

In many cases, when a couple experiences infertility issues, the causes may vary. Sometimes, the problem stems from the male reproductive system. Other times, the issues come from the female reproductive systems. And yet, there are also cases in which the infertility causes remain unknown; a situation called idiopathic infertility. [6]

There is A Light at the End of the Tunnel

To those who yearn to have a child of their own, know this, there is hope. Malaysia Healthcare recognises the negative effect infertility has on the lives of some people who are trying to conceive and has partnered with leading fertility centres in Malaysia aimed solely at providing quality fertility procedures for healthcare travellers looking for an affordable alternative.

With approximately 62 fertility centres around the country, Malaysia has become the Fertility Hub of Asia in meeting the growing demands for fertility treatments from both local and international patients [7]. Among the treatments available to cater for different patients are:

1. In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

IVF is an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) whereby an egg and sperm are fertilised outside the human body. The fertilised egg (now called the embryo) will later be placed inside the patient's uterus, and pregnancy will occur when the embryo implants itself inside the uterine wall. Malaysia has recorded an impressive success rate of up to 82.9% in IVF procedures [8]

1. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

This process is used when infertility issues are male-related. The procedure involves injecting a single sperm directly into the centre of the egg, and once fertilisation occurs, the embryo will be transferred to the uterine of the patient’s womb.

1. Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) for Monogenic/Single Gene Disorders (PGT-M)

This specialised genetic test is performed on embryos that are developed during IVF in a bid to select healthy embryos with lower risks of genetic conditions, defects or disease and therefore increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy. The success rate of this process can go up as high as 97% [9].

1. PGT for Aneuploidies (PGT-A)

One of the leading causes of pregnancy loss is chromosomal abnormalities in developing foetuses. And this is where PGT-A comes in. The PGT-A procedure checks the number of chromosomes produced by the embryo via IVF prior to implanting the embryo inside the uterus. One of the perks of this procedure is that it also allows couples to select the gender of the child. 

Asia’s Fertility Hub

Of all the 30 fertility clinics around the world that are Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC)-certified, 10 of them are in Malaysia, making Malaysia one of the go-to countries for fertility treatments. 

Among the notable hospitals that potential patients can refer to are:

KL Fertility Centre

TMC Fertility and Women’s Specialist Centre

Sunfert Fertility Centre

Sophea Fertility Centre

IVF Centre @Medini

Alpha IVF & Women’s Specialists Centre

Metro IVF Setiawalk

Metro IVF Klang

If you know of anyone facing infertility issues, give hope to their dreams. Help is just one step away. Reach out to Malaysia Healthcare for more information. 

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility

[2]https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/fileadmin/stored/misc/FuturePop03Fertility.pdf 

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29030908/

[4] https://pregnant.sg/articles/infertility-in-singapore/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19502575/ 

[6] https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/causes

[7] https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2022/02/09/capacity-building-programme-for-embryologists-in-malaysia/

[8] https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/809519/malaysia-top-destination-fertility-treatment 

[9] https://www.reprobiogen.com/genetic-testing/pgt-m/