How painful is IVF, and what can be done to reduce the pain?

In the IVF process, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can be conducted in Singapore to detect embryos carrying life-threatening or debilitating diseases. This is especially so for couples who have a family history of hereditary diseases e. g. certain muscular dystrophies, thalassemia etc. However, the selection of gender or testing of the embryo for cosmetic purposes e. g. skin and eye colour is not permitted in Singapore to ensure that these technologies are used judiciously and not result in embryos being thrown away for certain reasons.

It is not unusual to have some episodes of vaginal spotting when using the progestogen(Crinone) inserts. They can dry the vaginal skin and cause superficial abrasions which bleed when the pessary is inserted. In addition, some centres also use low-dose aspirin as a supplementary drug to enhance blood flow to the endometrium. These have the effect of thinning the blood and cause minor bleeds which seem to be worse then they actually are. The vaginal bleeds are not necessarily a sign of failed implantation.