A Chinese woman who wanted to freeze her eggs has been dismissed by a Beijing court on the grounds that she is single, the use of this method being reserved in China only to married women. Xu Zaozao’s approach, rare in the country, was widely followed by the Chinese media because women’s rights have been increasingly in the news in recent years.
Egg freezing aims to preserve fertility. It consists of taking oocytes, then freezing them in liquid nitrogen for later pregnancy. This method is traditionally used for medical reasons, to help with procreation.
But with the lengthening of studies, it is increasingly used around the world for personal convenience, in order to delay the moment of having a child.
“No illegality” according to the court
In 2018 at the age of 30, Xu Zaozao wanted to have his eggs frozen by a Beijing hospital. Faced with his refusal, she took legal action the following year. However, only married couples suffering from infertility have access to it in China.
The hospital’s refusal thus had no “no illegal character” et “does not constitute an infringement of rights” of the complainant who is “dismissed”said the People’s Court of the Beijing district of Chaoyang in a judgment made public Friday by the young woman. “We cannot say that this is a blow to the reproductive rights of single women. But it may be a small temporary setback”reacted Xu Zaozao in a video posted on the WeChat social network.
“I’m not going to let it end like this”
However, she plans to appeal. “I’m not going to let it end like this”, she points out. According to the judgment, the hospital said ” to understand “ the complainant but having to apply the law. Egg freezing is only offered to women who cannot become pregnant naturally, and not to healthy patients, the facility said. Apart from the risks associated with egg retrieval, the hospital also noted that later pregnancy is more risky for both mother and child. He also underlined the difficulties faced by single mothers.
Economic development has pushed many Chinese women into the job market in recent decades and they tend to marry later. After 30, many are under great pressure from parents to get married and have a child.
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