title: Assisted reproductive technology in China: compliance and non-compliance.
abstract: According to the WHO, infertility and sterility will be the third-most serious disease worldwide in the 21st century, after cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In contrast to developed countries, assisted reproductive technology (ART) were not offered in China until the mid-1980s with the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) infant born in Taiwan in 1985, then Hong Kong in 1986, and mainland China in 1988, respectively. Since those inceptions, the practice of ART in China has evoked a variety of social, cultural, political and one-child policy responses that have resulted in restrictions on the number of IVF cycles performed annually. According to recent survey, an estimate 40-50 million women and 45 million men suffered from infertility, which is estimated that more than ten million Chinese infertile couples require ART treatment. However, it has limited access to ART facilities, many of them may not have a child are whirling to all types of fertility therapies. Exposure to radiation, pesticides and other environmental pollutants, work-related stress and unhealthy lifestyles are believed to contribute to the increasing incidence of infertility in China. The aim of this first report is to provide China nationwide ART data and government policy in compliance and  non-compliance, particularly related to family plan policy in China.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China ; 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Laboratory Medicine, New York Hospital Queens, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 11355, USA ; 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard MC 9032, Dallas, USA.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China ; 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Laboratory Medicine, New York Hospital Queens, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 11355, USA ; 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard MC 9032, Dallas, USA.
authors.forename: Huai L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Feng
keywords: Assisted reproductive technology (ART); China; in vitro fertilization (IVF); infertility; policy
references.citation: Fertil Steril. 2012 Jun;97(6):1331-7.e1-4
references.pmid: 22480819
references.citation: Science. 2011 Jul 29;333(6042):581-7
references.pmid: 21798939
references.citation: Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2009 Aug;106(2):172-4
references.pmid: 19539927
references.citation: Fertil Steril. 2011 Jan;95(1):458-60
references.pmid: 20850722
references.citation: Lancet. 1978 Aug 12;2(8085):366
references.pmid: 79723
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2004 Apr 15;350(16):1603-4
references.pmid: 15084692