As China embraces female emancipation, more women appear to be
expressing interest in postponing pregnancy by having their eggs
frozen as they pursue careers and enjoy the independence of
youth.
However, by law such services are only available to couples with
fertility problems.
More than 260 couples had unfertilized eggs frozen through a
process called cryopreservation last year at the Shanghai-based
International Peace Women and Children Hospital.
The Xinmin Evening News reported that the number
represented a notable rise from the previous year, though it did
not provide earlier figures.
An even larger number of people have been contacting fertility
specialists to ask if they can have the procedure done, doctors
from the hospital said.
"I just got on the right track for my career, and I don't want
pregnancy to ruin my years of hard work. I just want to make sure
my baby is born after I have been promoted," said He Sha, a
28-year-old employee of a trade association.
He said she did not want to have to balance the responsibilities
of a career and a family.
Chen Xiaohong, dean of the Reproductive and Genetic Center in No
1 Hospital affiliated to Peking University, said an egg, which
typically dies within 10 hours after being removed from the womb,
can be preserved for at least a decade after being submerged in
liquid nitrogen cooled to -196 C.
Ninety-six percent of the cryopreserved eggs survive after 10
years.
However, the advanced technology behind the process is not
available to everyone. Experts said only couples who suffer from
fertility problems can avail themselves of the service.
Wang Xinfeng, an expert in artificial reproductive techniques at
a hospital in Guangzhou, said most of the frozen eggs at his
hospital were leftovers from other fertility treatments.
"They will never be offered to other people, just the couples
from whom they were obtained," Wang said.
Experts have called for the creation of an egg bank to help
women with fertility problems. "But ethics issues should be taken
into consideration, and rigid regulations should be set up before
such a bank is established," said Wang.
Wang added that even if an egg bank were established, the day
when healthy women would be allowed to freeze eggs by choice was
still a long way off.
To date, about 150 children have been born using eggs that had
been frozen, according to reports in Chinese language
newspapers.
There are 10 authorized sperm banks in China, according to the
latest list from the Ministry of Health.
(China Daily February 7, 2007)