Stringent regulation of oocyte donation in China

Currently in China, health regulations permit oocyte donationonly from IVF/ICSI patients who have 20 or more mature oocytesretrieved from a single cycle, of which at least 15 must bekept for their own treatment. Oocyte donation from non-patientsand commercial transaction of human gametes are strictly prohibitedby law. Additionally, embryos derived from donated oocytes mustbe cryopreserved and cannot be transferred to prospective recipients,until donors have been screened to be free of communicable diseasesafter 6 months. Such overly stringent regulation has in turnled to a severe shortage of available donor oocytes in China.The situation is made worse by a cultural aversion to oocytedonation by the majority of patients, because biological kinshipand blood relations are viewed as sacrosanct in traditionalChinese culture. The harsh social stigmatization of childlessnessin Chinese society, increasing incidence of age-related femaleinfertility in recent years and growing numbers of bereavedolder women who have lost their only child to accidents, naturaldisasters and suicides would make it imperative to reconsiderliberalizing the regulation of oocyte donation in China. Inparticular, the blanket ban on oocyte donation by non-patientsshould be lifted, as it is anticipated that there are many younghealthy women in China who are generous and open-minded enoughto consider altruistically donating their oocytes to childlesscouples.