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Fertile imagination

Singaporeans looking for love can try speed dating (you get seven minutes to make an impression), a matchmaking algorithm (a government agency's computer will find your other half) or study their star signs. Once they have found a match, couples can take a trip on the iDream Loveboat, a cruise and a night at a holiday resort designed to put them in the mood for love.

And now, for those wanting to take it a step further, there is Baby Planning Camp. For a mere '$550 per person on twin-share basis' (they ought to be told that sleeping in separate beds will not help), couples can learn over a weekend to 'manage' their fertility, as well as get an introduction to touch-therapy techniques and 'hormonal wellness'. (The seminar is conducted by in vitro fertilisation pioneer Professor Carl Wood).

In a country often bemoaned for its lack of creativity, the self-styled sex guru Wei Siang Yu keeps coming up with innovative ideas. The founder of Meggpower - which combines health services with technology, like answering sex queries via text message - was also behind the loveboat idea and is now advertising the first Baby Planning Camp for early October, with the backing of a Singaporean government agency.

Singaporeans are known for their low sex drive. Last year, a poll by condom manufacturer Durex ranked the country last in a global list of the most sexually active nations. This sad reality was corroborated by a study by the National University of Singapore, which revealed that only 25 per cent of men below 40 wanted sex more than six times a month. The result is a sharply falling birth rate, threatening to plummet this year to a 26-year low.

But, critics of Dr Wei's schemes point out, infertile couples will need more than a couple of days on a cruise ship to conceive. And beyond the ability to conceive, there is also the will. Any mother in the city state will tell you Singapore is anything but ideal with its numerous steps and lack of baby-friendly transport. More importantly, there are almost no childcare facilities for children under 18 months. It is all well and good making more babies, but who will look after them, and at what cost?

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