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Political advisor proposes access to assisted reproductive methods for unmarried women

(Global Times)    13:46, May 21, 2020

A Chinese political advisor has proposed endorsing assisted reproductive rights for unmarried women, such as allowing them to freeze their eggs. The proposal quickly stirred heated online debate after it was made public.

The proposal was put forward by Peng Jing, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, and partner of the Chongqing Jingsheng Law Firm. According to current regulations, assisted reproductive methods, such as freezing eggs, are only accessible to married couples and not to single women, while men have access to those methods, such as freezing their sperms, regardless of their marital status, said Peng.

Peng noted that the current situation has given rise to illegal operations of assisted reproductive methods, where single women seek help from unqualified, underground hospitals, or go abroad for such operations.

She suggested that the government revise its current regulations, expand access to reproductive methods for single women who meet certain qualifications, and give them equal opportunities for giving birth with assisted methods.

Peng also advised health experts to work out systematic rules in order to prevent side effects or other risks from those assisted reproductive methods. She said civil affairs and education departments should work out policies for registration and schooling for children born from such methods, and to end discrimination against single women in terms of reproductive rights.

Although this is not the first time such a proposal had been made, Peng's proposal led to a new torrent of discussions online, with the hashtag "promoting expansion of assisted reproductive methods for single women" being viewed 380 million times on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, as of press time.

Many hailed the proposal, as more and more women nowadays are missing the "golden age" for giving birth due to heavy workloads, and if they are deprived access to assisted reproductive methods, this is tantamount to denying them the opportunity to have children.

Others were concerned that if the proposal is passed, it will lead to a surge in illegal surrogacy and related black markets.

At the end of 2019, a Chinese woman surnamed Xu sued a Beijing hospital after doctors refused to freeze her eggs as she was unmarried. A court in Beijing's Chaoyang heard Xu's lawsuit against the hospital in a case that is expected to continue for several months. 

(For the latest China news, Please follow People's Daily on Twitter and Facebook)(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)

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