China considers allowing single women to access IVF

China is considering extending access to IVF treatment to single and unmarried women in an attempt to halt its population decline.

Officials in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan lifted restrictions in February, which previously prevented unmarried women from registering the birth of a child and from accessing maternity leave and child subsidy payments. This change allowed unmarried women to access private fertility treatment there for the first time, as while Chinese law does not explicitly ban fertility treatment for unmarried people, many hospitals have interpreted the law in such a way that patients are often required to present marriage certificates before treatment. Political advisers suggested rolling out the change countrywide in March, although the Chinese government is yet to comment officially on the matter.

Chen Luojin, from Sichuan's capital, Chengdu, is currently pregnant via IVF treatment at a private clinic. She told Reuters: 'Becoming a single parent is not for everyone, but I'm happy with the decision', adding that '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.'

Concerns have been voiced by those in the fertility industry that liberalising access to IVF treatment across China would likely result in an increase in demand for fertility treatment, putting strain on the country’s limited service providers. The Government's National Health Commission has plans to set up one fertility treatment facility for every 2.3 million people by 2025, which would increase the number of clinics in the country to 600.

Speculation around potential changes to China's IVF policy coincide with the launch of a final legal appeal by a single Chinese woman who was denied the opportunity to freeze her eggs five years ago. Teresa Xu is appealing against a Beijing Court ruling upholding the decision of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital to deny her egg freezing treatment as she was a single woman and could not produce a marriage certificate.

The judgment of the Court stated that egg freezing treatment poses certain health risks and is therefore only available to women who cannot fall pregnant naturally. Xu is appealing the decision, saying she is motivated by a desire to change deeply negative images of single mothers in China.

This is a landmark case for female reproductive rights in China, with the upcoming judgment set to have strong implications for unmarried women in the country.