Taiwan woman hopes for change in fertility laws
STORY: 33-year-old Vivian Tung is injecting herself with hormones to freeze her eggs, but under current laws here in Taiwan, she can only use them if she gets married to a man.
Despite the law, demand for egg freezing in Taiwan has surged.
According to a study by the National Taiwan University Hospital, the number of women aged 35 to 39 opting for the technology is up 86% over the past three years.
[Vivian Tung, Brand marketing director]
"I am buying an 'insurance policy' for my future self since I am getting older, it might be difficult to get pregnant. My friends and I also care about the health of our children. Some data has indicated that the quality of eggs is important for the development of babies, that's why we think this is something worth investing in."
Taiwan has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates behind South Korea and Hong Kong.
Dr Lai Hsing-Hua is the founder of Taiwan's first egg bank - the Stork Fertility clinic.
He says new patients have surged 50 percent year-on-year.
The frenzy comes after two local governments started subsidising egg freezing.
However, only a combined 1,400 spots are available annually and an average annual salary of less than $19,000 means egg freezing is out of reach for many women.
It costs up to $3,900 for the extraction, medicine and clinic visits, coupled with up to $320 in annual storage fees.
[Lai Hsing-Hua, Founder, Stork Fertility Center]
"The market demand is there. And I think the government should address issues related to the declining birth rate. In ten years, the issue of the declining birth rate could be resolved (through egg freezing). A lot of women aren't able to have children because they do not have the eggs when they want to get pregnant, nor do they want to use donor eggs. So, there is a transition period that becomes a pain point."
Even if you can rustle up the money though, it's only legal to use the eggs if you are in a heterosexual marriage, meaning unmarried women like Vivian or those is homosexual married couples are excluded.
Doctors in Taiwan say because of the restrictions, only around 8% percent of women are using their eggs after they have been frozen, compared with around 38% in the U.S.
She says she's hopeful though that authorities could change regulations in the future to allow unmarried women to use their frozen eggs too.
[Vivian Tung, Brand marketing director]
“I do have greater peace of mind. At least I don't have to worry too much about what would happen if I want a child four or five years from now, or that I won't be able to conceive a child, or if my eggs are not healthy then, I would have an option."
