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Jiang Chuqin

Hong Kong police have arrested 10 people for allegedly providing services related to the sex selection of babies and finding surrogate mothers.
The suspects, four men and six women aged between 30 and 70, were taken into custody on Friday and Saturday during raids on an office in Central and their homes.
Police said on Saturday night they had received a tip-off earlier that a local company was advertising on two websites with claims customers could choose their babies’ sex and be connected to surrogate mothers.
The force added that such promotions violated the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance.
According to the ordinance, no person is permitted to enable the sex selection of embryos through reproductive technology procedures, negotiate the arrangement of surrogacy services for commercial purposes or publish, distribute or promote the two services, even if they are not performed in Hong Kong.
But the legislation also lists some exceptions, such as preventing the birth of children with a genetic disease linked to their sex.
After receiving the tip-off, police launched an investigation and posed as customers to gather evidence. Officers discovered that the company was advertising and promoting its services and soliciting customers within the city.
The company allegedly negotiated arrangements with customers and charged service fees after an upfront contract was signed. It then arranged for customers to travel overseas for egg and sperm retrieval, cultivation, sex selection and surrogacy services.
The arrested individuals have been released on bail pending further investigation and are required to report back to the force in late May.
During the operation, officers seized mobile phones, computers, promotional leaflets, receipts, contracts and other evidence. They also took down two websites advertising the services.
The force warned that anyone providing services such as embryo sex selection, surrogacy arrangements or their promotion would be considered to have violated the law. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of HK$25,000 (US$3,222) and six months’ imprisonment.
Dr Yu Kai-man, an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist, said that the establishment of the ordinance and the Council of Human Reproductive Technology, which occurred decades ago, was widely accepted by both the medical profession and society at the time but might need to evolve.
“When this was first established, the medical profession was worried that the traditional societal value in male heirs, leading to sex selection practices in mainland China, would abuse our system. It was perfectly acceptable in preventing sex selection in medical profession and societal ethics,” he said.
“In my opinion, sex selection for non-medical reasons should not be allowed, simply because of ethical concerns.”
Yu added that surrogacy was even more controversial due to the definition of “commercial return” and the need to protect the well-being of both the babies and the mothers, which required significant resources to establish a legal framework.
However, he also noted that changes to the code of practice regarding reproductive technology were made recently, such as the removal of the time limit on storing eggs, sperm or embryos for later use, suggesting that social discussions could lead to legislative evolution.
The legalities surrounding babies’ sex selection and surrogacy vary significantly by jurisdiction.
Most countries and regions prohibit sex selection for non-medical reasons, but some, such as certain states in the United States, allow such practices for personal preference or family balancing purposes.
This means that if a couple has already had a child or children of one gender, they can use the technology to ensure their next child is of the opposite gender, according to US authorities.
The procedure always involves in vitro fertilisation to select an embryo’s biological sex before implantation.


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News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Company raided after advertising it could allow customers to choose their babies’ sex and connect them with surrogates


Company raided after advertising it could allow customers to choose their babies’ sex and connect them with surrogates.


Hong Kong police

Crime

Hong Kong police arrest 10 over sex selection and surrogacy services

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Company raided after advertising it could allow customers to choose their babies’ sex and connect them with surrogates

Company raided after advertising it could allow customers to choose their babies’ sex and connect them with surrogates