Dr. Love: Let's talk about sex ... again(Dr. Love website)Tan Hui Leng
WITH teen sex on the rise and fertility rates in freefall, you just had to expect Singapore's sex guru to make a splash. The flamboyant, eccentric Dr. Wei Siang Yu does not disappoint.
The man best remembered for his kitschy Love Airways television show is now launching an adult magazine next month.
No, the self-styled Dr. Love is not flirting with pornography. He just wants to enhance sexual wellness — and perhaps help Singapore make more babies — by bringing sex out of the closet.
"The only way to solve this is by putting everybody's voice in it; we hope that people will interact and create a big forum, a community, talking about what they actually want in terms of sexual issues," he said.
And thus the magazine, Love Airways — what else? — was born.
It's not exactly adult, but more adult "edutainment and communication", said the Australia-trained medical doctor.
"It's going to be very visual," he said.
That means you may well see "anatomically correct" pictures on the pages.
The content will range from reviews of "love hotels" and spas to bio-ergonomics.
"Ah lot of art form and designs are inspired by sexuality in the most organic form," explained Dr Wei, who prefers to be known as a "medical inventor", adding: "Take the design of beds, for example — we will have articles linking anatomy to the beds."
Dr Wei will also be the editor of the magazine, whose target audience includes anyone from 18 to 80 years old.
Irrespective of whether you consider him a savvy marketer or a misunderstood doctor, Dr Wei is not your typical Singaporean.
The youngest of six children grew up climbing the tree house in the family garden while his parents, who ran their own business, travelled the globe.
After completing his medical degree in Australia, Dr Wei came back to undertake his houseman's programme at public hospitals, but found conventional medicine was not quite his cup of tea. He then made his way to Japan, where he pioneered an email and SMS service to update women about their ovulation and menstrual cycles.
Today, while he is not practicing medicine anymore, Dr Wei can be heard talking about sex across a variety of platforms.
The Love Airways magazine will culminate in a DVD series that deals with three sexual issues: Premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction and menopausal sex.
It is not meant for broadcast, but for clinical application, said Dr. Wei: "You are going to see reproductive organs."
But it would help those suffering from premature ejaculation, he said.
"If, at a clinic, a man tells a doctor he suffers from premature ejaculation, he needs to be taught what technique to use, where to squeeze, where to press and how to do it. If you demonstrate it on a model, they don't usually get the idea.
"If you're going to teach him on the spot, his organ may not be erect at the time, so it's very awkward to teach, whether by the nurses or by the doctor. So, the best way is watch the video with your partner and manage it from there."
But how will he handle the censors?
Having helmed Love Airways on television, Dr. Wei said one of his tricks was to always submit two versions of a video — one censored, and one not — and "let them choose".
Also coming up is the long-awaited Dr. Love's Super Baby Making Show, a reality TV programme that will see couples vying with each other to conceive. He said that he has signed an agreement with Fremantle to produce the series, and is now looking for a suitable country in which to launch it.
Dr. Wei is convinced that his efforts contribute to solving sexual problems in Singapore, and to the opening up of society.
"At the end of the day, it's not about Dr. Love telling people what to do — it's about getting the community to talk about the issues," he said.