(ECNS) - A hospital in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, has apologized for making an ambiguous statement that it has the first approval to help unmarried women freeze their eggs in China.
A local newspaper reported that the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, HUST, has gained approval for the procedure at its new Hubei Fertility Preserving Center, which means it would the first to freeze eggs for unmarried women in China.
The report went viral online as China has strict laws and regulations governing the practice.
Freezing eggs solely for the purpose of preserving or extending a single woman's period of fertility is illegal in China. Egg freezing is classified as a supplementary IVF measure here, and is only available to women who meet medical requirements, such as being prior to chemotherapy for cancer.
The hospital apologized for the inaccuracy in its public communication materials, saying women will need to meet certain requirements as stipulated by China’s laws and regulations before applying to freeze their eggs.
Hubei Provincial Health Commission also said the new center is allowed to conduct research but not offer reproductive assistance services because the national law remains unchanged. The center will be held accountable for violations of laws and regulations, said the commission.
