‘Like swiping on Tinder’: Couple slammed for turning IVF journey into influencer content

SINGAPORE: A couple documenting their in vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey online has come under fire from netizens, who accuse them of turning a deeply personal and often painful process into performative content for views.

While many commenters emphasised that fertility struggles are a serious and sensitive issue, criticism has centred on the way the couple has chosen to present their experience publicly, with some describing it as overly curated and attention-seeking.

The pair’s channel follows their attempt to conceive after discovering the husband has azoospermia, a medical condition characterised by the absence of sperm. The diagnosis itself was captured on video, including the moment he received the call from a clinic.

Subsequent episodes show the couple navigating donor selection, which has drawn particular scrutiny. The couple paid additional fees to access more detailed donor profiles and rated the donors in a manner likened by some to dating apps.

The wife’s decision to pause her career during the IVF process has sparked debate, as well. In the videos, she explains that frequent medical appointments and the unpredictability of treatment make it difficult to seek employment.

Their decision to skip Chinese New Year visiting to preserve privacy and protect their mental wellbeing also raised eyebrows, especially since they appear to have no issue sharing every detail of their IVF journey publicly online.

The couple has also drawn flak for moaning about a $130 bill from Singapore General Hospital but later planning an “IVF moon” overseas trip.

Toward the later stages of the series, the wife describing taking hormone injections as her “show time” and her husband’s loud sigh in response became a point of discussion online as it appeared staged for content.

The controversy reflects a broader tension around how personal experiences are shared on social media. While some viewers appreciate the transparency and openness, others argue that such journeys risk being trivialised when framed through the lens of entertainment or influencer culture.