The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) has published guideline that sets the “maximum” fee for ovum or sperm donations.
The Artificial Reproduction Act (人工生殖法) bans ovum or sperm donors from charging a fee, but a “nutrition subsidy” can be given, although the amount has varied widely.
A template of a consent form for such donations was released by the agency last month, setting out the legal requirements for donors.
Sperm donors must be between 20 and 49 years old, while ovum donors must be between 20 and 39, and potential donors must submit to medical examinations and assessment, according to the consent form.
The maximum “price” for a sperm donation is set at NT$8,000 — although the norm is NT$5,000 — while for an ovum donation it is NT$99,000, according to the new form.
HPA statistics showed that between 2011 and last year, 891 sperm donations were made in Taiwan and 2,737 ovum donations.
“The demand [for donations] is higher than the supply at present, and usually the quality of the egg is better if the donor is younger,” said Tseng Chi-jui (曾啟瑞), director of Taipei Medical University’s Center for Reproductive Medicine and Sciences.
The hospital conducts tests to screen for genetic diseases before accepting egg or sperm donations, and if the results indicate a possible negative effect on the potential baby’s health, then the egg or sperm will not be used, he said.
Shih Ching-yi (施靜儀), a senior specialist at the HPA, said the donation consent form template was created after referring to similar forms used by clinics and hospitals.
The government-approved template has been distributed to all medical facilities that perform in vitro fertilization, Shih said.
Since ovum and sperm donors must undergo medical exams and various medical procedures to determine if they are eligible donors, those who receive the ova or sperm can authorize their medical facility to give a subsidy for nutrition to the donor, or to help pay for the exams, medical procedures, loss of working hours or transportation fees.
The normal subsidy for a sperm donor is NT$5,000, but if the donor has visited the hospital more than three times before making the donation, the maximum can be raised to NT$8,000, Shih said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese