The Union Health Ministry has sought knowledge from all States and Union Territories on the overall variety of single ladies (divorcees/widows) and single ladies who’ve efficiently used Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) with the intention to assess the functioning of the ART Act, 2021. Fertility specialists have welcomed the transfer, together with the inclusion of single ladies/single ladies as a class.

The Health Ministry had additionally sought category-wise figures of the overall variety of {couples} and single ladies who used surrogacy efficiently following the implementation of the Surrogacy Act, 2021.

The letter issued by the Health Ministry in December had sought the knowledge on a precedence foundation, to be submitted by January 1.

Speaking of the Ministry’s initiative, Shobhit Agarwal, CEO, Nova IVF Fertility, stated that transparency was one of many core values of the sector, whereby full info was shared with sufferers, and real looking expectations set to assist them take well-informed selections of their therapy and care.

“Additionally, this is a welcome move by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, where the authorities are assessing the implementation of the ART Act by gathering data. The request to share the successful ART cases gives a realistic picture of the success rate of various ART clinics. We hope this move will bring more transparency and efficiency to the fertility sector. Even in the single women segment, we see a few cases every month. Although currently in a nascent stage, we see single women inquiring about procedures like egg freezing, and this will boom in the years to come. The inclusion of single women/unmarried women as a category is a positive and welcome trend,” he stated.

The National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board arrange below the ART Act goals to manage ART clinics and assisted reproductive know-how banks, forestall the misuse of ART, and make sure the secure and moral apply of ART providers. The Ministry has additionally notified the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulations) Amendment Rules, 2023, below the ART Act, to supply donors and sufferers with higher care. 

ART is obtainable as a therapy for infertility, and to stop congenital abnormalities, and many others. However, it has additionally raised considerations over parameters that restrict the variety of out there donors. India, like the remainder of the world, is going through a dip in fertility charges, and growing prices of ART cycles.