Any woman not married to a man will be banned from using fertility services, as will gay men.
Japanese lawmakers will soon consider a draft law which will explicitly ban doctors from providing fertility treatment to any woman who is not married to a man.
Human Rights Watch reports that the tentatively titled Bill on Specified Assisted Reproductive Technology, seen by Human Rights Watch, would outlaw artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for single women and lesbian couples.
Kozo Akino, a lawmaker from the ruling government involved in drafting the legislation, argues that children’s rights are most easily protected by “legally married parents with joint custody.”
Human rights activists disagree.
Mamiko Moda and Satoko Nagamura who had their son using donated sperm told Human Rights Watch that the proposed law would not eliminate same sex couples from accessing IVF but would push those services “underground” making them more dangerous.
“If this law had existed two years ago, we would not have our little boy. We want all women to be able to access their right to health care. Banning some of us won’t stop people from wanting a baby, it will just push it further underground and make the process of acquiring sperm far more dangerous” Nagamura said.
“This is not just an LGBT issue. It is a women’s health and safety issue.”
The bill is expected to be debated this month.