Chinese Woman Sues Hospital For Refusal to Freeze Eggs

A Chinese woman filed a lawsuit against a hospital over their refusal to freeze her eggs because she is unmarried. This is China’s first legal challenge over this issue.

Under Chinese law, only married women are able to receive human assisted reproduction. Teresa Xu is the unmarried woman suing Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, which she visited in November of 2018, and was encouraged by doctors to make plans to have a child right away instead of freezing her eggs. Xu, 31, is currently more concerned with her career than having a child.

“I came here for a professional service, but instead I got someone who was urging me to put aside my work and to have a first child,” Xu told the media. “I have already received a lot of this pressure in this society, this culture.”

The Realist Woman’s take:

The only other option for women in China who want to freeze their eggs is to go abroad, but for many women, including Xu, that’s too expensive.

Women shouldn’t have to travel abroad to properly plan their own parenthood. And why is egg freezing limited to married women? Why can't unmarried women have this same right? Why are unmarried women considered less than in this country. It's totally sexist and smells of China's patriarchy.

I'm extremely interested in finding out what happens with this lawsuit. I’ll update this story as it develops.