Ruan Xiangyan, a doctor and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress. Photo: from web

During the ongoing "two sessions", Ruan Xiangyan, a doctor and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, suggested building a notification system, especially at the grassroots level, to inform patients of any fertility risks before treatment.

Given that a portion of patients suffering from tumors, malignant diseases, or rare illnesses survive thanks to modern medical treatments, but lose their fertility permanently due to damage from radiotherapy or chemotherapy, protecting the fertility of this group is a key area in urgent need of breakthroughs, Ruan said. 

Since 2012, Ruan's team has spent a decade introducing and developing ovarian tissue cryopreservation technology in China, bringing it to a leading international level. 

In 2021, the first healthy baby in China was born following ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation. At present, ovarian tissue cryopreservation is one of the most important methods for preserving female fertility. Whether it is during this year's "two sessions" or in her daily work, Ruan has consistently focused on the protection and preservation of women's fertility.

Fertility preservation is an important component of building a fertility-friendly society, but the implementation of national policies remains uneven at the grassroots level, and the "last mile" of policy execution has yet to be fully addressed, said Ruan, who is also the chief expert of the Department of Endocrinology at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University.

Based on the opinions on promoting the construction of fertility-friendly hospitals issued by China's National Health Commission, Ruan also put forward a series of systematic proposals aimed at comprehensively implementing a fertility preservation system.

China's National Health Commission requires that patients be fully informed of fertility risks before undergoing treatments such as cancer therapy, which may impair reproductive capacity, and that fertility assessments and guidance be provided. However, research shows several shortcomings in grassroots implementation, including low awareness among primary medical institutions, the incomplete adoption of pre-treatment notification systems in key departments, limited access to fertility assessment and consultation services, and the absence of fertility protection indicators in hospital evaluations, Ruan noted. 

In response, she proposed improving implementation by ensuring full coverage of the notification system, standardizing the scope of required disclosure, strengthening the responsibility of primary-care institutions, enhancing training for medical staff, establishing a closed-loop system linking notification, assessment, referral and services, and incorporating related indicators into mandatory evaluations. 

These measures aim to ensure that fertility protection policies are effectively implemented at the grassroots level, reduce treatment-related fertility damage at the source, and safeguard reproductive health rights, she said. 

"If fertility protection policies can be effectively implemented across medical institutions at all levels nationwide, it could potentially benefit 1 to 3 million future births each year and give at least 1 million women the opportunity to become mothers," Ruan added.