China Weighs Giving Single Women IVF Access to Stem Population Decline
Editor
29 April 2023 18:23 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Hong Kong - As China tries to slow its demographic decline, women like Chen Luojin could be part of the solution.
The divorced 33-year-old lives in Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern Sichuan province, which legalized registration of children by unmarried women in February, something China is considering implementing nationwide to address record-low birth rates.
The changes mean unmarried women can take paid maternity leave and receive child subsidies previously only available to married couples. Crucially, Chen could access in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic.
She is now 10 weeks pregnant.
"Becoming a single parent is not for everyone, but I'm happy with the decision," said Chen, who works in logistics. "Equally, getting married or not is for each individual to decide. We have liberalized 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 aging, 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.
Liberalizing IVF nationwide could unleash more demand for fertility treatment in what is already the world's biggest market, straining limited fertility services. Some investors in the industry see an opportunity to expand.
"If China changes their policy to allow single women to have children, this can result in an increase of IVF demand," said Yve Lyppens, director of business development for Asia Pacific at INVO Bioscience (INVO.O), which is awaiting regulatory approval to launch its IVF technology in China after signing a distribution agreement with Guangzhou-based Onesky Holdings last year.
"However, if there is a sudden increase, China will have an even larger capacity issue."
China's National Health Commission (NHC) did not respond to a request for comment about liberalizing IVF access, 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.
