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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987
THE CODE OF PRACTICE WOULD INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR PERIODIC INSPECTION AND THE SUBMISSION OF STATISTICS TO THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IT WOULD ALSO SET STANDARDS ON CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH, AS WELL AS ON HOW IVF LABORATORIES SHOULD BE EQUIPPED.
+CONSULTATION IS NOW BEING CARRIED OUT ON A DRAFT CODE OF PRACTICE WHICH SHOULD BE READY FOR ISSUE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, + HE SAID. THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE CLINICAL AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN CONNECTION WITH IVF. +
MR CHAMBERS EXPLAINED THAT IVE AND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION REPRESENTED TWO TECHNOLOGIES DESIGNED TO HELP COUPLES WHO, FOR A VARIETY OF MEDICAL REASONS, COULD NOT HAVE CHILDREN THROUGH THE NATURAL PROCESS OF HUMAN CONCEPTION.
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION, INCLUDING THE INSEMINATION OF SPERM FROM DONORS, WAS INTRODUCED BY THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION IN 1981. SO FAR IT HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN A TOTAL OF 107 CASES. THE PROGRAMME HAD BEEN RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND THERE WERE NO PLANS TO
IMPOSE CONTROL THROUGH LEGISLATION.
IN-VITRO FERTILISATION, WHICH WAS A NEWER TECHNIQUE, WAS BEING CARRIED OUT ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS BY THE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND IN ONE PRIVATE HOSPITAL. A BABY CONCEIVED BY THE USE OF LVF TECHNIQUES WAS SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED RECENTLY.
CONCERNING RELATED SOCIAL, ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES,
MR CHAMBERS SAID EXPERIENCE IN OVERSEAS COUNTRIES INDICATED THAT COMPLEX QUESTIONS RELATING TO TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF EMBRYOS AND THE POSITION OF SURROGATE MOTHERS MIGHT ARISE.
HOWEVER, IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY WHETHER THE SAME PROBLEMS WOULD ARISE IN HONG KONG BECAUSE THE CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FAMILY CONCEPTS WERE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
MR CHAMBERS STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION IF THIS APPEARED TO BE REQUIRED.
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