The results of a recent poll showed that Taiwanese are divided over the legalization of surrogate mothers, a group of civic organizations said yesterday as they criticized proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act (人工生殖法).
The government should consider the draft bill’s lack of public support before proceeding with the amendments, Taiwan Women’s Life Protection Association chairperson Hsieh Hui-chen (解慧珍) said, citing an Internet-based survey conducted by some civic groups.
Further discussion is needed for the public to consider whether surrogacy could harm the mental and physical well-being of the people involved, she said, adding that the groups are not trying to stop the bill.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
The poll revealed that 87.7 percent of respondents agreed that the proposed amendments did not take into consideration the full measure of surrogacy’s potential implications, Mothers Shield Alliance deputy secretary-general Shan Hsin-ai (單信愛) said.
Additionally, 73.4 percent of respondents do not think gay couples should be allowed to use surrogacy to have children, she said.
The government should encourage adoption instead of promoting various forms of assisted reproduction to bolster birthrates, Profemina Taiwan director-general Charles Lin (林朝興) said.
Taiwanese should be encouraged to consider adoption as a standard way to start a family, he said, adding that the nation reports fewer than 150 adoptions, but more than 200,000 abortions a year.
The government has not fully considered the impact that legalizing surrogacy would have on the welfare of children, The Guardian-National Association for Children and Family executive officer Chou Ming-yung (周明湧) said.
The groups would soon launch a government-watchdog coalition to advocate for “healthy” and “responsible” policies, Lin added.
In response, Health Promotion Administration Maternal and Child Health Division Deputy Director Tsai Wei-yi (蔡維誼) said the government unveiled the bill in May and that its 60-day public comment period had expired.
The agency’s goal is to submit the bill for the Executive Yuan’s approval before the end of this year, he said, adding that officials would continue to communicate with groups to ease their concerns about the legislation.
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