2026-04-28

A Meaningful Encounter — Supporting Reproductive Choices for Diverse Families

We recently had the honor of welcoming Professor Sara L. Friedman from the Department of Anthropology and Gender Studies at Indiana University, along with Professor Yu-Ying Hu from the Institute of Gender Studies at Kaohsiung Medical University, for an in-depth exchange with Dr. Eing-Mei Tsai at AN-AN IVF Center.

It was truly a privilege to sit down with international scholars who have long been engaged with Taiwan's assisted reproduction legislation and the rights of diverse families.

We support expanding access to assisted reproductive technology for single individuals and same-sex couples — and we believe the details and challenges involved deserve serious, thoughtful discussion.

Professor Friedman offered an anthropological perspective on the deeper social questions embedded in the legislative debate — how we define family, and who has the right to choose parenthood.

We also touched on the topic of donor-conceived children's right to know their origins — a question that carries particular complexity within the cultural context of Asian societies, and one that deserves careful attention as the law evolves.

Dr. Tsai shared her view: expanding access to assisted reproduction is fundamentally about reproductive equality — not about raising birth rates. Addressing birth rates requires broader efforts across social policy, culture, and economic structures.

Seeing our clinical work through the lens of social humanities and academic inquiry gave us a deeper perspective on the issues we care about.

Thank you, Professor Friedman and Professor Hu, for this truly meaningful visit. We look forward to more conversations like this one. heart