Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Unmarried Chinese lady who wanted to defer having children lost her legal battle to have her eggs frozen,...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Unmarried Chinese lady who wanted to defer having children lost her legal battle to have her eggs frozen, raising concerns about the lack of technological options available to Chinese citizens.
In a historic case of a Chinese woman battling for her reproductive rights, Teresa Xu, now 34, filed a lawsuit against a Beijing hospital in December 2019 alleging that it had violated her rights by refusing to freeze her eggs on the grounds of her marital status.
In China, it is challenging for healthy women to get access to assisted birth technology in order to put off having children. According to national regulations, such techniques are only permitted for treating medical conditions like infertility or protecting a person's fertility before undergoing certain treatments.
A copy of the judgement, which was confirmed by Reuters on Sunday, states that the Chaoyang District People's Court in Beijing ruled last week that there is no clear law on the specific application of assisted reproductive technologies in China but that they must be made available for medical reasons.
Xu declared that she will appeal the July 18 verdict because she was "mad" about it.
After learning of the decision on Friday, she responded in a video on the social media network WeChat, saying, "It's a little, brief setback." However, I continue to think that Chinese single women's reproductive rights will progress and improve.
The court completely rejected Xu's claim.
In support of her argument, she highlighted two Chinese provinces that have removed some restrictions on single women's access to some assisted birthing equipment and a declaration by the national government that China's laws do not restrict a woman's ability to give birth. The Chinese health ministry does not permit egg freezing for non-medical purposes, the court determined.
When she filed her lawsuit the following year, Xu claimed that she had gone to the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in November 2018 to freeze her eggs so she could concentrate on her work as a writer on gender issues.
According to the court ruling, the hospital noted that egg freezing has a number of health hazards and that postponed pregnancies or single parenthood may result in additional social issues. The hospital declared that it would deny any request to freeze eggs solely to put off having children.
An inquiry for comment from Reuters on Monday did not receive a prompt response from the hospital.
Xu, a resident of Heilongjiang province in northern China, claimed that during her initial appointment at the hospital, the doctor inquired about her marital status and advised her to have a child immediately away rather than freezing her eggs.
She claimed that after her second visit, the doctor informed her that she was unable to continue.
Xu claimed she thought about visiting clandestine clinics in China but decided against it since the cost of doing so was too high.
