TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Cabinet on Thursday approved draft amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act to expand access to fertility treatments for unmarried women and women in same-sex marriages, while separating the issue of surrogacy from the law.
The Cabinet said the changes aim to protect women’s reproductive health and safeguard the best interests of children, per CNA. The amendments also enhance the quality and management of assisted reproduction services.
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said surrogacy involves third-party health risks and social and ethical concerns. He said the lack of a broad consensus means it will be handled separately, with continued public engagement.
The draft expands eligibility to unmarried women who are registered long-term residents of Taiwan and female same-sex spouses who have completed legal marriage registration and have healthy eggs. Women aged 45 or older must first undergo a medical evaluation before being approved for treatment.
To protect the best interests of children, the draft adds an evaluation mechanism and clarifies rights to genetic information and legal parenthood. Prospective parents must first undergo a child-welfare assessment by a designated institution.
The amendments also prevent loss of legal status for children by designating all births through assisted reproduction as marital children. This status cannot be revoked once the procedure has been completed.
Children conceived with donated reproductive cells may access non-identifying donor information such as blood type and nationality. Identifying information may be released for hereditary diseases or transplant needs in accordance with the law.
Once such children reach adulthood, they may obtain additional information if the donor consents.
The draft boosts oversight of assisted reproduction institutions by tightening rules on the use and disposal of donated reproductive cells and banning the simultaneous implantation of embryos created from different donors. It also expands reporting requirements for donor information, procedures, and gender analysis, while strengthening informed consent and medical risk disclosure.
The draft will now be sent to the Legislative Yuan for review.
