Hoping to squeeze out a lucky tiger baby before the year ends? If you’re one of the roughly 15% of Singaporean couples experiencing fertility issues and who are unable to conceive within 12 months of trying, you may be in for a bumpy road ahead. And while signs of infertility may be easier to spot in females, it’s important to note that such issues affect males equally.
According to Dr. Lim Min Yu, President of the Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore; and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with Astra Women’s & Fertility Specialists, Gleneagles Hospital, the male factor contributes to between 40% to 50% of infertility cases, and affects approximately 7% of men. Furthermore, he says, couples can experience unexplained infertility – where there is no obvious problem on either side, but they are unable to conceive. This is something that up to 15% to 30% of infertile couples have to navigate.
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Such was the case for Dr. Benjamin Tee, the co-founder of twoplus fertility. Undergoing numerous – and often invasive – fertility treatments with his wife inspired him to devise the twoplus Sperm Guide: a non-invasive, at-home conception aid designed to promote conception by channelling as much sperm to the cervix as possible.
Here, he tells us about the challenges he faced when trying to conceive, how the product works and his candid thoughts about men who refuse to seek help for their fertility issues.
Benjamin Tee (BT): My wife and I tried conceiving for several years in our early 30s. We had all sorts of medical checks and were diagnosed with unexplained infertility – defined as an inability to conceive after a year despite having no obvious medical problems.
BT: Since we were eager to start a family, my wife underwent all sorts of fertility treatments: from traditional Chinese medicine to intrauterine insemination (IUI) to in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Ultimately, it was the IVF treatment that bore us our first child after close to five years.
Based on our own experience with fertility treatments, I realised how impersonal – and emotionally and physically taxing – the procedures are. These pain points were some of the key reasons I wanted to create a company that develops products and services to help increase a couple’s chances of natural conception at home – without taking away the intimacy of the process. So I partnered with Prusothman Sina Raja – a biomedical engineer I met at Stanford University – to create twoplus fertility.
BT: The twoplus Sperm Guide is a simple-to-use product that’s inserted into the vaginal tract before coitus. After intercourse, it captures the ejaculate, keeping it within the vaginal tract. The device is maintained in place for at least an hour, during which women can continue with their day-to-day activities. As it sits in the deeper region of the vaginal tract, semen is brought closer to the cervix. This increases the likelihood of fertilisation, as the sperm have a higher chance of entering the cervix to the fallopian tubes.
The product directly mimics the procedure of cervical cap insemination (CCI), which has been proven to be nearly as effective as IUI in delivering live births. But the difference between the two is that our product can be used at home without third-party medical intervention, which is necessary for CCI.
BT: In Asia, females tend to bear the greater burden when it comes to infertility. In truth, fertility is both a male and female matter. Science and clinical data tell us that males need to do their part and share the responsibility for achieving optimal fertility. Constantly putting the blame on females can also cause undue stress on the marriage.
My advice for male partners is to test for sperm health as early as possible to help determine how best to increase the chances of pregnancy. Education and guidance on fertility matters should also be provided to young couples.
BT: I would advise males to be as goal-oriented as possible and to focus on achieving the ultimate objective: to have a healthy baby that you can carry in your arms and devote your love and attention to. No words can describe the sheer joy I felt when I first held my baby in my hands. Technology is simply the means to that end.
There is no real shame or ego in using technology for conceiving, especially when scientific advancements have made it more precise and convenient. Your marriage will probably be better off the earlier you find and address the fertility issues – because at the end of the day, age is the biggest determining factor for both male and female fertility. The longer you wait, the less likely you will be able to conceive.
Answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.