Ruan Xiangyan, a National People's Congress deputy and doctor, has called for a notification system to tell patients about fertility risks before treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy in China. She said modern cancer care can save people with tumors or other malignant diseases but can also cause permanent loss of fertility. [1]
Ruan's proposal comes as she points to work her team has done since 2012 on ovarian tissue cryopreservation in China, a field she said has reached a leading international level. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is now one of the main ways to preserve female fertility. [1]
China recorded a milestone in 2021 when the country's first healthy baby was born after ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation. Ruan cited that result as evidence of progress in fertility preservation techniques. [1]
But she said implementation of fertility preservation policy is still uneven at the grassroots level. She cited gaps in patient awareness, the adoption of notification systems, access to fertility assessment and hospital evaluation indicators. [1]
China's National Health Commission already requires doctors to fully notify patients of fertility risks before treatments that can impair reproduction, and to provide assessments and guidance. Ruan's call adds pressure for that rule to be carried out more consistently in hospitals and at local health facilities. [1]
