Historical and Cultural Legacy of Post-One Child Policy: Is China Ready to Embrace Planned Oocyte Cryopreservation?

Abstract

Women's reproductive rights in China are shaped by geopolitical and cultural factors, resulting in restricted access to planned oocyte cryopreservation (planned OC). While the global discourse surrounding planned OC continues to evolve, China currently sanctions egg freezing for medical purposes exclusively in married women, while prohibiting its nonmedical application in single women. This stance contrasts with the growing recognition of planned OC's potential to address age-related fertility decline, particularly in the context of delayed marriage and childbearing. This paper offers a critical analysis of China's restrictive perspective on the role of egg freezing in family planning, which is notably influenced by the enduring impact of the one-child policy on societal norms. In response to the three foundational rationales posited by the National Health Commission for the prohibition of planned OC, this study presents clinical, public health, and social viewpoints contesting that banning planned OC has the potential to marginalize women and curtail their reproductive autonomy. We recommend deregulating planned OC to provide flexibility for women who might otherwise forgo having children due to participation in the labor force. By conserving fertility during career or personal growth periods, planned OC supports the nation's demographic objectives, harmonizing personal reproductive goals with the societal agenda. Planned OC, nonetheless, should not be viewed as a standalone solution to systemic issues like declining birth rate and should coexist with broader efforts to improve societal structures, such as work–life balance policies and affordable childcare, even though these changes may take time.