The Government published the Human Reproductive Technology (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 (Amendment Regulation) and the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Notice 2025 (Notice) in the Gazette today (July 18) to give effect to the relevant recommendations on the regulation of human reproductive technology by the Council on Human Reproductive Technology.

The Amendment Regulation

     At present, under the Human Reproductive Technology (Licensing) Regulation (Cap. 561A) (Regulation), gametes or embryos for own use can generally be stored for at most 10 years. For patients who may be rendered infertile as a result of medical treatments, the maximum storage period of embryos for own use is 10 years, and that of gametes for own use is 10 years or until the patient reaches 55 years of age, whichever is longer.

     The Amendment Regulation aims to remove the statutory storage periods of gametes and embryos for own use under the Regulation to enable members of the public to make their own decisions on the storage duration of their gametes or embryos depending on their health and other conditions, with a view to better realising reproductive autonomy.

The Notice

     The Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance (Cap. 561) (Ordinance) prohibits the use of reproductive technology procedures for selecting the sex of an embryo, except where such selection is to avoid a sex-linked genetic disease specified in Schedule 2 to the Ordinance, which may prejudice the health of the embryo. The Notice aims to update the list of diseases set out in Schedule 2 to the Ordinance.

     The Amendment Regulation and the Notice will be laid before the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 23 (next Wednesday) for negative vetting. Subject to the approval of the LegCo, they will come into operation on December 1.

     Furthermore, the Council will amend the Code of Practice on Reproductive Technology and Embryo Research (Code) accordingly, which will come into effect at the same time as the Amendment Regulation and the Notice. Among these, to ensure that members of the public are fully informed of the associated medical risks and the trade-offs involved before engaging in the storage of gametes or embryos for their own use, the Council will incorporate relevant operational measures in the amended Code, including requiring persons who have stored their gametes or embryos for their own use for five years or more to receive additional counselling services before storage can be extended. There will be a one-year grace period for the relevant arrangements, whereby persons concerned only need to complete the counselling services and extension procedures within one year, or before their first storage extension, after the commencement of the amended Code (whichever is later). The Council will inform the licensed centres of the detailed subsequent arrangements for the commencement of the aforementioned amendments in a timely manner.

Ends/Friday, July 18, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:04

NNNN