China to allow fertility treatment for single women to stem population fall

HONG KONG: China is mulling to allow single women access to in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic as it tries to slow its demographic decline.

The changes mean unmarried women can take paid maternity leave and receive child subsidies previously only available to married couples.

This has benefited women like Chen Luojin, a 33-year-old divorcee living in Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern Sichuan province, which legalised registration of children by unmarried women in February, something China is considering implementing nationwide to address record low birth rates. She is now 10 weeks pregnant.

“Becoming a single parent is not for everyone, but I’m happy with the decision,” said Chen.

Some provinces have already legalised registration of children by unmarried females

“Equally, getting married or not is for each individual to decide. We have liberalised the policies here and I know a lot of single women are doing IVF.”

Concerned about China’s first population drop in six decades and its rapid ageing, the government’s political advisers proposed in March that single and unmarried women should have access to egg freezing and IVF treatment, among other services. China’s leaders have not commented publicly on the recommendations.

China’s National Health Commi­ssion (NHC) did not respond to a request for comment, though it has previously acknowledged that many young women are delaying plans to marry and have children, noting that high costs of education and child-rearing have contributed to declining marriage rates.

Shanghai and the southern Guangdong province have also permitted unmarried women to register their children but IVF services for single women remain banned.

Huge unmet need

Experts have said Lyppens said most IVF clinics in China operated at full capacity before the Covid-19 pandemic, and are likely to be in a similar situation again soon as the country has lifted virus-related curbs.

Chinese hospitals and clinics, both public and private, provide about 1 million rounds of IVF treatment — or cycles — annually, compared with 1.5 million in the rest of the world, according to academic journals and industry experts.

The price for a cycle — which involves medication for ovarian stimulation, egg collection, insemination in a laboratory and embryo transfer — is regulated in China. It ranges between $3,500 and $4,500, about a quarter of US prices.

China’s IVF market, including treatment, drugs and equipment, is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 14.5 per cent in coming years, nearly doubling to 85.4bn yuan in 2025 from 49.7bn yuan, research house Leadleo estimated in a report last year.

Gender power imbalances, the stigma in Chinese society that single pregnant women face, and the lack of social surveys make it difficult to quantify total demand for IVF, industry experts say.

China implemented a rigid one-child policy from 1980 until 2015 that have allowed India to become the world’s most populous nation. The limit has since been raised to three children.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2023



from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/5uUdfeF

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saudi Arabia, Iraq stonewall COP28 efforts on fossil fuel phase-out

DUBAI: With less than 48 hours left before the UN climate summit officially comes to an end, oil producers Saudi Arabia and Iraq resisted moves to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels, a key demand at the COP28. Over 80 countries, including the US, European Union and members of Pacific Island states threatened by rising seas have been some of the most vocal in calling for a phase-out of oil, gas and coal. COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber urged negotiators on Sunday to work harder to find consensus, inviting ministers to give their views at a majlis-style consultation. He said he was asking all countries to suggest wording for a consensus on fossil fuels, adding: “Now, the time has come for all parties to constructively engage… Failure is not an option”. The main obstacle to an agreement has been the entrenched stance of OPEC members, led by Saudi Arabia, who argue that the focus of the COP28 should be on reducing emissions, not on targeting the fuel sources that cause them.
Read more

Israel, Hamas agree to truce, 50 hostages to be released

Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce that would see the Palestinian group release dozens of hostages taken on October 7 , both sides announced Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approved the accord after a near-all-night meeting, in which he told reticent ministers this was a “difficult decision but it’s a right decision.” A government spokesman told AFP that under the agreement at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages would be released — women and children — in return for a four-day “lull” in military operations. For every 10 additional hostages released, there would be an extra day of truce. Hamas released a statement welcoming the “humanitarian truce”, which it said would also see 150 Palestinians released from Israeli jails. The truce offers Gaza residents the prospect of a desperately desired, if brief, pause after nearly seven weeks of total war. Sources had earlier told AFP the truce would include a complete ceasefire on the ground a
Read more

Families of those facing military courts call for their fair trial

LAHORE: The families of PTI activists facing military court proceedings in cases regarding the May 9 violence demanded a fair trial for their dear ones. Over a dozen family me­­mbers of PTI activists who are currently facing trial before military cou­rts, and their lawyers Rab­biya Bajwa and Abuzar Salman Niazi, addressed a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday. Ms Bajwa said that there was a criminal silence over the violation of the basic human rights in Pakistan, adding that they would launch a campaign to wake the people to stand against the violation of human rights and Constitution of Pakistan. She claimed that the fa­­m­­ily members of those fa­­cing trials in military cou­rts were not allowed to meet the incarcerated persons. Despite the passage of one month, the Supreme Court has also not constituted a bench to hear petitions regarding civilian trials in military courts. She said the government had submitted a report to the court, saying that 20 citizens w
Read more