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.