Court Ruling Triggers Debate on Assisted Reproductive Rights of Single Women

A recent court ruling in favor of a widow who sued a hospital for refusing to perform a frozen embryo transfer has reignited debate in China over whether it’s legally and ethically acceptable for a single woman to have children with assisted reproductive technology.

Chinese regulations stipulate that single women are not allowed to receive assisted reproductive treatments, including in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, without further elaborating. This has led courts to differently handle cases involving widows, who are usually considered single but not in the same category as unmarried women.