Egg freezing a hope for same-sex couples: doctor
By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNA
Egg freezing offers hope to same-sex couples awaiting the legalization of assisted reproduction and an opportunity for comprehensive reproductive health screening, a doctor said.
Although same-sex marriage was legalized in 2019, same-sex couples still lack a legal path to having children of their own, Taipei Fertility Center attending physician Isabel Hsu (許嘉樺) said on Thursday last week.
Women waiting for the day assisted reproductive technology becomes legal for same-sex couples increasingly choose to freeze their eggs, she said, adding that one-third of her gay clients opted for the treatment.
Taipei Fertility Center attending physician Isabel Hsu holds a placard in Taipei in an undated photograph.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Fertility Center
LIFE-SAVING MOVE
A person identified by the pseudonym Hsiao Shan (小珊), 32, discovered that she had a 5cm ovarian tumor after a transvaginal ultrasound, a routine part of egg freezing treatment, Hsu said.
That type of ultrasound is effective in and necessary for determining ovaries’ egg reserves, and checking the reproductive system for tumors, cysts or other pathologies, she said.
Hsiao Shan was referred to a gynecologist and an oncologist who jointly weighed her medical options and successfully removed the tumor and froze her eggs, Hsu said.
The timely diagnosis likely saved Hsiao Shan’s life and preserved her healthy eggs, which would allow her to have children should Taiwan legalize in-vitro fertilization for same-sex couples, the doctor said.
Clinical data showed that more than 93 percent of frozen eggs survive the thawing process and their fertility rate is comparable to their natural counterparts, she said.
Lesbian couples who plan to have children should visit fertility experts to assess their ability to bear children and undergo reproductive health screenings, which would help create a tailored plan for them, Hsu said.
AWAITING LEGALIZATION
Creating legal pathways for people such as Hsiao Shan to have children should be a priority for a nation facing a precipitous population decline, she said.
The right of lesbian couples and single women to equal access to fertility care and chances to start a family should be protected, she added.
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