Zhu Lei
Institute of International Law, Wuhan University, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
J Law Biosci. 2021 Feb 22;8(1):lsaa084. doi: 10.1093/jlb/lsaa084. eCollection 2021 Jan-Jun.
The Chinese regulatory framework on access to assisted reproduction technologies (hereafter ART) is relatively restrictive, limiting ART exclusively to heterosexual married couples as a medical treatment for infertility. ART clinics across China are prohibited from providing ART services for single women. This creates significant regulatory barrier for single women to exercise their procreative rights. The restriction finds its root in the population and family planning law under which reproduction is tied to marriage and childbirth outside marriage are deemed as illegitimate with punishing consequences. It essentially denies the procreative rights of single women which are recognized by Chinese law. A welcoming development is that in seven out of 10 cases the court is willing to grant exceptions by allowing posthumous implantation procedure for widowed women after the sudden and unexpected death of the husband.
中国关于辅助生殖技术（以下简称ART）的监管框架相对严格，仅将ART作为治疗不孕症的手段，限定于异性已婚夫妇。中国各地的ART诊所禁止为单身女性提供ART服务。这给单身女性行使生育权造成了重大监管障碍。这种限制源于人口与计划生育法，该法将生育与婚姻挂钩，非婚生育被视为非法并会带来惩罚后果。这实际上剥夺了中国法律所承认的单身女性的生育权。一个可喜的进展是，在十分之七的案例中，法院愿意给予例外，允许在丈夫突然意外死亡后为寡妇进行死后植入程序。
