A Beijing court has ruled against unmarried Chinese woman Teresa Xu's right to freeze her eggs, concluding a six-year legal battle that gained national attention. The Chaoyang Intermediate People's Court upheld a hospital's decision to deny Xu, now 36, access to egg-freezing services, reaffirming mandatory marital status for such procedures. "This isn't outside of my expectations," Xu commented Wednesday during a livestream.
Xu initially approached the hospital in 2018 at age 30. Despite completing an initial consult, she was barred from the procedure due to her single status, as Chinese regulations require women to be married for egg freezing. Recounting her experience in 2019, Xu mentioned, "The doctor kept on trying to persuade me, 'You should have a child now,'" leaving her frustrated. Pursuing alternatives, such as freezing eggs abroad, proved financially unfeasible.
Xu's legal journey involved multiple court submission attempts, delayed further by the pandemic. The 2022 ruling by the Chaoyang Intermediate People's Court reinforced the hospital's stance, leading Xu to appeal. Despite recognizing the likelihood of failure, Xu aimed to highlight the case's broader societal impact. The judgement hinted at future changes by noting that policies on births, along with related medical regulations and standards, may evolve. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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