Japan urged to ensure equal healthcare access after hospital turns away lesbian mum-to-be
- A woman in a same-sex relationship who became pregnant through in-vitro fertilisation was denied treatment at a hospital, advocacy group Kodomap said
- Japan requires women to be in a heterosexual marriage to access IVF, leading some in same-sex relationships to travel overseas to receive the treatment
An LGBTQ advocacy group has urged the Japanese government to ensure all pregnant women have access to the same level of medical support, after a woman in a same-sex relationship who became pregnant through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) was denied treatment at a hospital.
In the request presented to the Children and Families Agency, the Tokyo-based organisation Kodomap also highlighted another case in which a hospital refused to give a check-up to an unmarried pregnant woman who planned to raise the child on her own.
The cases occurred at a time when Japanese hospitals have grown wary about accepting pregnant women unconditionally due to a lack of legislation related to conception via donated sperm.
Japan requires women to be in a heterosexual marriage to access IVF, leading some in same-sex relationships to travel overseas to receive the treatment.
Kodomap on Tuesday called on the government to ensure that “all women, regardless of their marital status or how they became pregnant, can receive appropriate obstetrics treatment”.
