This article is from WeChat public account: interface News (ID: wowjiemian) , author: Chen Xin, from the title figure: Orient IC
In recent days, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Specialist Hospital has been controversial because of the release of unfrozen female “frozen eggs”.
On October 31, 2019, according to the Beijing News, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Specialist Hospital received the first healthy unmarried female frozen egg pass in China. On November 1, the hospital issued an apology statement through the WeChat public account, saying that the indications for female frozen eggs were not highlighted and will cooperate with law enforcement inspections.
On the same day, the Hubei Provincial Health and Health Commission responded by saying that unmarried women’s “frozen eggs” were not released. According to Hu Rong, director of the Maternal and Child Health Division of the Hubei Provincial Health and Health Commission, Hunan Province approved the establishment of the Hubei Fertility Conservation Center by the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology to support its research and promotion of reproductive medicine. Practice license.
In response to the relevant media reports on the behavior of the center, on the afternoon of October 31, 2019, the Hubei Provincial Health and Health Commission has organized a health supervision department to conduct law enforcement inspections on the center, and seriously investigate and punish violations of laws and regulations. The results of investigation and investigation shall be announced according to law.
Hunan Provincial Health and Welfare Committee assisted reproductive related person told the interface news that many women now do not want to have children early because of their physical, work, life and other reasons, but if they are born late, they are afraid that the quality of the eggs is not high, so there are Some people choose to freeze the eggs at a young age and then thaw them when they are older.
“Frozen eggs as an adjunct to treatment, for the two groups of people, the first category is cancer risk or already suffering from cancer, and the second category is for high-risk occupations, such as firefighters, and radiation, radioactivity In order to protect their reproductive safety, practitioners of dangerous industries related to heavy pollution may consider freezing eggs in advance.”The person in charge said.
In China, unmarried women use assisted reproductive technology (including frozen egg surgery) is not allowed. The Human Assisted Reproductive Technical Specification, formulated by the National Health and Family Planning Commission in 2003, expressly stipulates that “human-assisted reproductive technology is prohibited for couples and single women who do not meet the national population and family planning regulations and regulations.”
However, the document on assisted reproduction in China has not been revised for more than ten years. Does the current document really meet the needs of the current society for assisted reproduction? Jia Ping, executive director of the Public Health Governance Center and concurrently a professor at the School of Law at St. Mary’s University in Texas, believes that there are already a number of women with better economic conditions who have changed their mate choices and reproductive rights. This part of women emphasizes individual fertility autonomy. Sex, that is, “My body is my master, the egg is a part of my body, and the right to birth should be protected by law.”
Global Think Tank (CCG) invited senior researcher and co-founder of “Population and Future” website Huang Wenzheng pointed out that “even if domestically prohibited, Many women also choose to freeze eggs abroad, and on a technical level, the success rate of assisted reproduction in China is already very high.”
Jia Ping believes that the birth mode should be diversified, and the reproductive rights of adult individuals should be respected. “The so-called ‘transmission of the ancestor’ is essentially the combination of sperm and egg. Since frozen eggs can achieve the same effect, why must they stick to the form itself?”
In December 2017, the former National Health and Family Planning Commission responded to a number of NPC deputies’ recommendations calling for the liberalization of restrictions on the reproductive rights of single women.
The National Health and Family Planning Commission said in its reply that the current Chinese law does not deny the reproductive rights of single women, and noted that individual areas have established regulations on assisted reproduction in combination with actual conditions. The committee said that in the next step, it will conduct extensive and in-depth investigations with relevant departments, strengthen research and demonstration, pay close attention to technological developments such as “frozen eggs”, actively carry out feasibility studies, prudently promote clinical applications, improve relevant laws and regulations, and effectively protect single women. Legal rights.
A Hong Kong reproductive expert once told the media that frozen egg storage is a possibility, usually with a success rate of 60% to 80%, and there is no way to achieve 100% protection. In addition, 34 to 38 years old is considered to be the age at which women are suitable for frozen eggs..
The above-mentioned Hunan Provincial Health and Welfare Committee assisted reproductive person in charge, frozen eggs must be carried out in the legal reproductive center. Thawing eggs requires marriage certificates, ID cards and other relevant documents to ensure the authenticity of identity information and marriage information. Both parties must constantly confirm their identity.”
The person in charge also mentioned that reproductive medicine must be implemented within the broad framework of ethics. In the case of IVF, the person in charge said that the IVF only helps the infertile couple to give birth through technical means, but the procedure and meaning of the natural birth are the same. “Like natural fertility, after the two parties must marry, the child born is called legal reproduction. If it is not married, it is illegal reproduction.”
Even experts who are open to female frozen eggs also mention the risks of releasing frozen eggs. Huang Wenzheng is worried that if the frozen eggs are released, many people may feel that fertility is not important. They do not have to worry about controlling births. Instead, they miss the best age of childbearing. “This is a pity.”
Jia Ping also raised concerns that the release of frozen eggs may complete female unmarried infertility. In addition, he pointed out that the release of frozen eggs may cause chaos in the auxiliary reproductive market. “In the long run, the state should respond positively to assisted reproduction and gradually release it instead of comprehensively negating it.”
This article is from WeChat public account: < span class = "text-remarks"> interface News (ID: wowjiemian) , author: Chen Xin