Chief Executive (CE) Ho Iat Seng issued yesterday Executive Order 65/2024, which lists diseases for which the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) services is authorised.
The order takes effect today.
The government-initiated law regulating assisted reproductive technology (ART) services in the city, aiming to allow childless couples to use ART but subject to a string of strict rules, came into effect on February 11 this year.
According to the law, the use of ART services is only permitted for the treatment of married couples or couples in a domestic partnership who have been diagnosed as infertile by a doctor at a public hospital or an assisted reproduction unit, if any child that the couple may already have is being treated for a serious inherited disease.
According to the executive order, ART services are applicable for married couples or those in a domestic partnership who may carry any of nine serious diseases including acute or chronic lymphoblastic leukaemia and severe thalassaemia.
Meanwhile, the executive order also lists 88 serious diseases with a genetic risk to the future children of a married couple or those in a domestic partnership such as chondrodysplasia, congenital cataracts, mental retardation, muscular dystrophy, that will be applicable to use ART services.
Image representing ART courtesy of iStock
