The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday released draft amendments that would legalize surrogacy, along with assisted reproduction for single women and lesbian couples.
The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said that it has set a July 13 deadline for public feedback to the proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act (人工生殖法) and is hopeful that it can be forwarded to the Executive Yuan for review by the end of the year.
The amendments also listed the rights that should be granted to surrogate mothers, and couples and unmarried women undergoing assisted reproduction.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The draft amendments state that assisted reproduction must be non-compensatory, but those seeking the service must provide the surrogate mother with the necessary funds under a designated account, as well as insurance.
The surrogate mother may not begin the process until the insurance policy has gone into effect, and the couple is banned from terminating the contract while the surrogate is carrying the child, the draft states.
Surrogates would undergo an evaluation before the procedure, taking into consideration their vocation, economic capability and other factors to ensure there are no ulterior motives, it says.
Unmarried surrogates should also be evaluated on their ability to care for children, as well as other factors such as support systems, and their relationship and attitude toward their intimate partner, it says.
Unmarried women undergoing assisted reproductive procedure are banned from using specific sperm donations, and same-sex partners are prohibited from using sperm or eggs of their immediate family and close kin, the draft states.
How donated sperm and eggs are to be used, and official contracts for same-sex couples and those seeking surrogacy, are all detailed in the draft.
Asked about the draft, Taiwan Women’s Link founder Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) said that the group and 20 others had petitioned that the issue of assisted reproduction and surrogacy be dealt with separately.
Moreover, complex or vital issues should not be dealt with during a government transition, and the current administration pushing forward with the draft shows disrespect for the incoming administration, she added.
Awakening Foundation secretary-general Chyn Yu-rung (覃玉蓉) said that some of the contract obligations have been left blank by the HPA, which would give too much power to the legislative branch.
Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights secretary-general Chien Chih-chieh (簡至潔) said the issue of surrogacy is controversial and, if discussed in tandem with assisted reproduction, could cause unmarried women or lesbian couples to lose out on assisted reproduction rights.
Additional reporting by Yang Yuan-ting
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