Floodgates 100_Issue1_2019_FINAL

Features
A
FERTILE
GROUND
of
DISCONTENT
Can Couples Longing for Children Have Their Happily-Ever-After?
First in a two-part
series on couples
struggling with
infertility, this article
features the lives of
couples who did not
give up the hope of
becoming parents.
Look out for Part 2
in next issue of
Floodgates.
by Karen Lam, PJN5
part 1
A global study shows one in eight
couples suffers from infertility while
one in ten has secondary infertility –
the inability to have a second child.
The incidence of infertility has risen
so sharply that countries in Southeast
Asia, like Malaysia and Thailand have
positioned themselves as fertility hubs
of the region. The Tourism Authority
of Thailand, for instance, estimates
90 million couples will visit the
country for medical tourism,
particularly fertility clinic services.
The numbers are good news for
providers but sobering for couples
pining for a child. The anticipation and
the subsequent dismay are replayed in
a despondent loop every month. Yet,
giving up is hardly ever an option for
these couples – at least for as long as
there is a physiological open door.
Hope is the elixir of our existence.
17