China Might Allow Single Women To Have IVF To Increase Birth Rate

China's one-child policy which was in practice from 1980 to 2015 impacted its population growth drastically. Now the country faces alarmingly low birth rates and an increase in the older population. It is now trying to improve the population situation and the officials recently proposed giving IVF access to single women.

China has increased the child limit to three in the country issues persist. People are still sceptical of getting married and having children because of the high cost of education, child and health care. Even people who are married want to become financially efficient to raise a child before adding to their family.

Policymakers are trying their best to come up with provisions to encourage people to have children and recently, government officials proposed making IVF treatments available for single women.

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IVF For Single Women

Earlier, IVF treatment was only limited to married women in China. The few single women in China who became mothers through IVF had to go to another country for IVF treatments. However, though the policymakers suggested giving single women access to IVF treatments and egg freezing, the country's government or National Health Commission (NHC) have not given any official response regarding the same.

Meanwhile, many IVF clinics in China have allowed single women for treatment but in regions like southern Guangdong and Shanghai, single women are still not allowed to have IVF treatments though they can register their children.

Sichuan's NHC has not said anything about allowing IVF for single women but has said that it aims at promoting balanced and long-term term development in the population. The experts have suggested that the outcome of this policy will be an increase in the demand of IVF treatments and equipment which can be a good business opportunity for those in this field.

Meanwhile, many women have reported that they have witnessed long lines in front of IVF clinics since this policy was mentioned in March 2023.

Chinese women are largely opposing marriage and having children. They are not looking for partners and don't want to bear the cost of raising children which is really high in China. This policy will help women looking for having children without marriage because IVF treatment cost in China is almost one-fourth of that in the US.

However, experts also suggest that allowing single women to have IVF treatment will only create a minimal difference as the major issues like expensive child care and education will still stop them from having kids. China needs to reform the public services and education sector in order to promote rapid population growth.