The Debate On The Right To Freeze Eggs For The First Single Woman To Freeze Eggs In China

The right of single women to freeze eggs has once again aroused heated debate.

The first single woman to freeze eggs was publicly held in Chaoyang District people's court in Beijing on December 23, 2019.

Ms. Xu, a pseudonym, went to the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in November 14, 2018 to consult with the Department of reproductive medicine, and confirmed her physical condition and oocyte health through relevant checks. However, her request for frozen eggs was rejected because the marriage certificate could not be provided. Doctors said at that time that hospitals could not provide frozen eggs for single women. To this end, Ms. Xu brought the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University to court.

In view of whether single women have the right to freeze eggs, the main controversy in laws and regulations is that, on the one hand, the "human assisted reproductive practices" issued by the Ministry of health stipulates that: "176 of the health education and education release No. 2003" stipulates: "prohibit the implementation of human assisted reproductive technology for couples and single women who do not comply with the provisions of the national population and family planning law and regulations."

"It is therefore stipulated that at present, single women can not exercise their reproductive rights by using artificial assisted reproductive technology such as sperm bank, frozen egg, etc. Our hospital has also banned such behavior, but the practical operation of frozen eggs abroad has existed for many years, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia and so on, the price can also reach tens of thousands of yuan. An assistant reproductive medicine doctor of a third class hospital in Guangdong said to the twenty-first Century economic report.

On the other hand, the fifty-first article of the law on the protection of the rights and interests of women stipulates: "women have the right to have children under the relevant state regulations and the freedom to have children." The twenty-fifth article of the marriage law also stipulates that "illegitimate children enjoy the same rights as children born in wedlock, and no one can be harmed and discriminated against." And the seventeenth article of the law on population and family planning stipulates that "citizens have the right to have children". Based on this, earlier analysts pointed out that citizens need to include single women and therefore need to release the right to freeze eggs for single women.

Frozen egg is a kind of human assisted reproductive technology. When a woman is at a better reproductive age, she artificially extracts mature eggs and freeze-dried them. The removed eggs will be stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius all year round. All the metabolism and molecular movement inside the egg will be at a standstill. When the eggs are needed, the eggs can be fertilized and embryos can be transplanted.

In accordance with the current regulations, even if married, to get frozen eggs in the domestic market is also very demanding. One is the day when a woman takes her eggs, the male can not supply sperm in time, while she refuses to supply sperm for test tube babies. Two, before she has a malignant tumor and is about to undergo a larger dose of chemoradiotherapy, the egg can be removed and frozen to preserve the chance of having offspring.

"For frozen eggs, there are still some mistaken ideas at the present stage. The actual probability of a frozen egg from recovering to pregnancy is generally 4.5%-12%, and the success rate of pregnancy will gradually decrease as the maternal age increases." The aforementioned assistant reproductive surgeon said.