FROZEN REGULATIONS

A 31-year-old single woman is suing a Beijing hospital for having refused to freeze her eggs, arguing for change to an outdated section of China’s family planning policy.

According to the lawsuit, the woman, known under the alias Xu Zaozao, was denied the procedure by the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in November 2018. A spokesperson has stated that the hospital was simply “strictly adhering to the law”—a 2003 regulation from the Ministry of Health prohibits medical reproductive services to single women, and even some married couples who do not meet requirements to reproduce under the family planning policy.But there are no such restrictions on single men who want to freeze their sperm.

“I want society to know that women, regardless of their marital status, have the right to make decisions about their lives autonomously,” Xu tells Sixth Tone.Hearings for the case began last December, with a decision expected in 2020.- SUN JIAHUI (孫佳慧)