Cultural and Clinical Considerations in Assisted Reproductive Therapy in Asia

With declining fertility rates worldwide and the trend toward “quick-fix” solutions, the use of assisted reproductive therapy (ART) has increased globally. In Asia, a region comprising countries with some of the lowest fertility rates in the world, ART is fast becoming one of the main strategies for these issues. In this chapter, the focus is on Singapore, a small nation known to be a melting pot of cultures. The impact of a multiethnic and culturally diverse population on the practice of ART in Singapore is explored against the backdrop of a young nation with its roots steeped in tradition and the conservative ways of the ancestors. In Singapore, governmental policies also serve as a reflection of the people’s concerns and guide the management of patients who seek to undergo ART. In this chapter, we peer through the looking glass at the unique aspects of the practice of ART in Asia.