Round table "The Urgent Issues of Organizational and Legal Support of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in Ukraine"

15.06.2010

“IRTSA” Agency together with Medical Law Center and PANAMEDICAL CONSULTING LTD (Great Britain) conducted round table “The Urgent Issues of Organizational and Legal Support of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in Ukraine” on June 15, 2010.

Representatives of key reproductive clinics, surrogacy agencies, law companies, embassies of Great Britain, Canada and Norway, The Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine, editor of core magazine “With care about woman” attended the event.

Round table participators discussed up-to-date standards of ART programmes support in Ukraine, namely:

standard of legal support on different stages of Surrogacy programme;
standard of risk insurance for ART participators;
standard of psychological assistance;
standard of agency services, etc.

Insurance of life and health of surrogates and oocyte donors were given a special priority. Lyudmila Smahina, Chief Executive Officer of “IRTSA” Agency mentioned difficulties which occur with such insurance policies. In fact, only three insurance companies confirmed their willingness to provide insurance services of this kind.

Considering the issue of legal status of oocyte donors, Sergiy Antonov, Chief Executive Officer of Medical Law Center offered to form Single all Ukrainian Register of Oocyte Donors. All participators supported the idea. Natalya Dankovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Neomed Reproductive Clinic, in particular, marked that this data base will ease donor background check and possibility to control their participation in oocyte donation.

As for marital status, participators supported the point of view of Serhey Lisitsa, Legal Department Chief of “Assisted Motherhood” Agency concerning granting equal rights to officially married spouses and those living in civil marriage.

Ethical issues of surrogacy sparked a lively dispute. Valeriy Zukin, Chief Executive Officer of the Nadiia Reproductive Clinic and Board Member of UARM emphasized the main, in his opinion, ethical restrictions for ART participation:

same-sex couples;
age over 56;
mental abnormalities of Intended Parents, criminal background.

At the end of the round table the participators were informed about working group aimed to develop memorandum establishing standards of agency services in ART programmes.

Representatives of diplomatic missions made a stress on the urgency of agenda issues and a high level of round table organization.