Today is another in this regular series with Dr Francois Fong of Neo-Health Group in Hong Kong, which deals with issues related to sexual health.  We hope it will contribute to public education about sexual health and help viewers, both women and men, learn about prevention and treatment for the benefit of their own health.

Today’s topic is understanding In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

Script of Interview

Interviewee                                      Dr. Francois Fong (FF)

Position                                             Founder & CEO

Company name                               Neo-Health Group (‘Neo-Health’)

Company website                           https://www.neohealth.com.hk/

Interviewer                                       John D. Evans, CFA (JE)

Interview conducted on                 11 March 2023

Talking Points

<Preamble>  We have all likely been reading about the demographic situation globally and how birth rates are dropping in most or all developed countries.  This is also the case in Asia where, China as an example, reported a ‘replacement rate’ of 1.18 children.  That is well below the rate of 2.1 children that is assumed to maintain a constant population (why it is not 2.0 is a statistical complexity in how infant mortality is recorded).  But today we are not going to do a sociological analysis on the drop in the birth rate but rather understand the matters of pregnancy and childbirth and what can be done to assist families who want more children.

1. Assuming a legal age to marry of 18 years, what is the ‘ideal age’ from a purely physical perspective for a woman to think about bearing a child? What are the risks of having a baby at an older age, for both the woman and the child?  I can understand that it may be more difficult for a woman to get pregnant as she ages but, as some report, is there a greater risk that the child will have some ‘condition’ if born by an older woman?
2. Give us an overview of what the service ‘Premarital and Fertility Screening’ is about at NHG.
3. Explain to us the purpose and the process of ‘egg freezing’ and what NHG provides there.
4. Give us a high-level overview of what IVF is all about at NHG, the process and the various steps. What are the pre-requisites for a woman to start an IVF treatment, who else is involved (legal matters) and what is the expected total cost?
5. Summarize what services NHG can provide with regard to IVF? Can it provide these services to residents of both Hong Kong and Mainland China?  Are these services only offered via NHG in Hong Kong?

END.