Do not ignore the pitfalls of IVF

This letter was sent to The Straits Times Forum but was not published.

I thank Mrs Joni Ong for her honest sharing of her in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey, that was emotionally draining but now rewarding since she has borne five children, three of which are naturally conceived ("'Untaboo' IVF and other fertility treatments"; 3 March). 

The same cannot be said for my relatives who went through the excruciating psychological and physical pain of assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment.  They were drained out of their financial resources and are now still childless. 

In a programme On A Red Dot shown on Channel News Asia last year, Ms Felicia Tan recounted her grief in suffering two miscarriages and having lost three sons while on IVF, all within two years. It was a miracle that she and her husband finally had a boy through natural conception. She asked a poignant question, "Did I create life or destroy them?" 

I read with regret that the Government's co-funding for ART treatment would be raised from $6,300 to $7,700 for fresh cycles and $1,200 to $2,200 for frozen cycles from April 1 this year. This is based on the false premises that people have a right to have children and ART treatment is one of the tools to promote population growth. 

According to the statistics provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH) last year, overall from 2013 to 2015, the average ART success rates are 21.3% at public centres and 19.0% at private centres. This translates to a huge loss of human embryos created through IVF. What about the long-term follow-up on the elevated health risks of children conceived through ART treatment as compared to naturally conceived children? What are the repercussions on the offspring of these children?   

In 2013, over half of the 9,282 abortions were done on married women ("Abortions fall to 30-year low"; July 27,2014). Why not divert our precious resources to helping women with unsupported pregnancies and facilitating life-giving options like adoption? What recourse can a citizen take when he does not agree that Government should use tax proceeds to fund IVF and abortion as they violate his freedom of conscience? 

A child is not an expensive toy that we want at all costs, at our convenient time, imputed with utilitarian value. A child is a gift bestowed, of intrinsic value like us, a sweet burden that no money can buy.