Overview
In Singapore, abortion is legal and available on request during the first 24 weeks of a pregnancy. The Singapore Abortion Act, originally enacted in 1974 but since amended, does not define an age limit for abortions, nor require minors to receive parental consent. Before the procedure, the Act requires that women undergo brief counselling by a qualified counsellor at an accredited abortion clinic. A mandatory 48 hour waiting period must be taken after the counselling. The mandatory counseling and wait period have been attributed to decreases in the number of abortions being performed in Singapore annually since it was legalized in 1974. In addition, many family planning services, including various hotlines, are available to Singapore women. Emergency contraception drugs are also legal and readily available.
Regulations for assisted reproduction technologies in Singapore have recently developed under the Status of Children (Assisted Reproduction Technology) Act passed in 2013. The act states that the woman who carries a baby is considered the baby’s legal mother and several scenarios concerning fatherhood are outlined. However, critics argue that the Act needs to be more comprehensive as it fails to address many key issues of ART, such as women freezing their eggs or turning to surrogacy overseas. AR procedures can only be carried out on a married woman (not single woman or same-sex couples) and with her husband’s consent in Singapore. Women also cannot be older than 45 to pursue AR treatments.
In May 1996, the Singapore Parliament passed the Advance Medical Directive (AMD) Act, legalizing AMDs in the country. The Act has been extended to defend and legalize the practice of passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia, however, continues to remain illegal in Singapore. In the fall of 2014, the Institute of Policy Studies conducted an open debate asking the public whether is it time for Singapore to consider a right-to-die bill, of which only 34.5% of people who participated agreed.
The use of human embryonic stem cells is legal in Singapore, for both therapeutic and research purposes, as long as they are no more than 14 days old. In 2006, the New York Times called Singapore a “haven” for stem-cell research due to the country’s liberal laws and liberal government financing for the field. Since 2000, Singapore began an initiative to diversify and strengthen the economy of the country by investing in biotechnology. The country has since attracted many drug companies, and even American scientists, to conduct research through tax incentives and government funding.
Abortion
83 pts out of 100 / 100,00% complete
Abortion and contraception allow women to express their freedom of reproduction by exercising their right of self-determination over their bodies.
Measurement questions
Is abortion lawful to protect woman's life?
Yes
Is abortion lawful to protect woman's physical health?
Yes
Is abortion lawful to protect woman's mental health?
Yes
Is abortion lawful in the event the woman was raped?
Yes
Is abortion lawful in the event of fetal defects?
Yes
Does the law mandate that an abortion is performed at the mere request of a pregnant woman?
Yes
Is RU-486 (Mifepristone) approved or registered for use?
No
Are emergency contraception drugs lawfully available?
Yes, with prescription
Are family planning services provided through government-run programs and facilities?
Yes, directly
Is spousal notification/permission required?
No
Assisted Reproduction
60 pts out of 100 / 100,00% complete
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are the methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means. Access to assisted reproduction concerns our ability to expand our right to health by offering us access to treatment to overcome infertility.
Measurement questions
Is preimplantation genetic diagnosis permissible?
Yes with no restrictions
Is oocyte cryopreservation permissible?
Yes
Is embryo cryopreservation permissible for reproductive purposes?
Yes
Is sperm donation permissible?
Yes
Is oocyte donation permissible?
Yes
Are IVF surrogacy agreements enforceable?
No
Marital status requirements?
Yes
Do same-sex couples have access to ART?
No
Do single women have access to ART?
No
Are there any limits on the number of pre-embryos that can be transferred?
Yes
End of life
60 pts out of 100 / 100,00% complete
End of life decisions concern our ability to make choices concerning the end of our lives and take of the form of refusal of life sustaining treatment, being help in committing suicide, choosing euthanasia, and make choices that must be upheld even when the person becomes unconscious. As Young (2010) noted, "People have an interest in making important decisions about their lives in accordance with their own conception of how they want their lives to go."
Measurement questions
Is passive euthanasia lawful?
Yes
Is active euthanasia lawful?
Legally prohibited
Is physician-assisted suicide lawful?
Legally prohibited
Are advance directives (AD) enforceable?
Yes
Is a physician required to respect a patient's refusal of life-sustaining treatment?
Yes
Research with embryos
53 pts out of 100 / 100,00% complete
Research with embryos and pre-embryos as well as therapeutic cloning concerns scientists’ freedom to investigate human biology as well as patients’ freedom to access regenerative medicine treatments that may be developed as a result of research with human embryonic stem cells. Since the early 2000s, research with embryos has been at the center of an often-polarized debate about the nature and scope of scientific freedom.
Measurement questions
Is basic research using germline modification in human embryos/gametes permitted?
Yes
Is pre-clinical research using germline modification technologies in animals permitted?
Yes
Is clinical research using germline modification technologies in humans permitted?
No
Are clinical applications of research using germline modification technologies (i.e., to initiate a pregnancy with edited embryos or with edited gametes) permitted?
No
GM Crops
50 pts out of 100 / 100,00% complete
GM crops have contributed significantly to modern agriculture. Plant breeding using genetic modification techniques has led to improving crops in more targeted ways than classical breeding techniques. GM crops acquire desirable characteristics, including pest and herbicide resistance, enhanced robustness against diseases, drought or water tolerance, and healthier profiles that can enhance nutrition.
Measurement questions
Is research on GMOs permitted in the laboratories?
Yes
Is notification to start research on GMOs in laboratories required?
Yes
Is research on GMOs frequent?
No
Are GM crop field trials (the limited release into the environment for research purposes) permitted?
Yes
Is authorization to start a GM crop field trial required?
Yes/prohibited
Are GM crop field trials frequent?
No/prohibited
Is cultivation of GM crops (for commercial purposes) in open field permitted?
No
Is authorization to start open field cultivation of GM crops required?
Yes/prohibited
Is open field cultivation of GM crops frequent?
No/prohibited
Can GM crop commodities harvested in other countries be imported?
Yes
Is authorization to import GM crop commodities required?
Yes/prohibited
Is the import of GM crop commoties frequent?
Yes
Right To Science Indicators
Measurement questions
- Access to benefits
What is the total general government expenditure on education?
What is the expenditure on tertiary as % of government expenditure on education?
What is the the percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed a doctoral degree or equivalent?
What is the percentage of population that uses the Internet?
What is the quality of math and science education on a scale from 1 to 7 being "excellent"?
2.8
To what extent is the Internet used in schools for learning purposes?
2.6
What is the scientific literacy of 15-year-old students as measured by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)(mean score)?
- Opportunities to participate
Does the law mandate nondiscrimination based on gender in hiring?
No
What is the percentage of females employed with advanced degrees out of total employed?
- Enabling environment
How many scientific and technical journal articles are published each year in physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, clinical medicine, biomedical research, engineering and technology, and earth and space sciences?
What is the percentage of GDP allocated to Research and Development?
How may published articles have received at least H citations in the period 1996–2014?
What is the quality of scientific research institutions?
2.6
To what extent do business and universities collaborate on research and development (R&D)?
2.8
What is the average university ranking score of countries based on their top 3 universities?
To what extent are scientists and engineers available?
2.9
How many professionals are employed as researchers?
How many professionals are employed by government as researchers?
- International cooperation
To what extent are talented people attracted from abroad?
3.1