Jackie Guma, Legal Officer attached to Parliament’s Health Committee has backed the proposal barring Assisted Reproductive Technology services (ARTs) or fertility services to single people, saying such a move would open the law, allowing homosexuals to also access these services in Uganda.
She made the remarks during a meeting held by the Health Committee alongside officials from Mulago Women’s and Neonatal Specialized Hospital, to consider The Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill,2023 that was tabled by Sarah Opendi (Tororo DWR) seeking to regulate fertility clinic and use of Assisted Reproductive Technology services.
“We have received stakeholders who are of the view that we should not subject the application of this bill to only a man and a woman who jointly seek the services. They are of the view that we allow a single man and a single woman to access these services. I think if we were to do that, we would be opening this law to couples like homosexuals to have the ability to get ART services. I would like you to kindly guide us on that because it is an important composition of this bill,” remarked Guma.
Her remarks follow an earlier plea by Uganda Law Reform Commission not to limit the application for fertility treatment to only a man and woman, but rather open it up to even single people interested in having a child.
Romano Byaruhanga, Senior Consultant Obstetrician/ Gynaecologist at Mulago Women’s Specialized Hospital backed the proposal to lock out single people, saying that any attempt to open such services to single people would tantamount to opening a can of worms within Uganda.
“I think we should keep it as stated in the bill because if we allow any other single person to come in, we may be opening a can of worms and I would advise that we keep it as a man and woman who jointly seek to have human assisted reproductive technology as opposed to making it a single person. I would ask Parliament to adhere to this particular aspect that is already in the bill,” said Dr. Byaruhanga.
Robert Busingye, Senior Consultant, Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Mulago Specialized Women’s and Neonatal Hospital also asked Parliament not to do away with commercial surrogacy, but cautioned for the need to define what ‘reasonable compensation’ will be to the mothers, given the negative conditions they have to live with during and after pregnancy.
He said, “Surrogacy is such a big thing, there are a lot of ramifications in surrogacy. The question is, if I am going to be compensated reasonably, the question is, what is reasonable? A surrogate is going to go to hospital, carry the pregnancy, vomit, maybe even have a caesarean section, have high blood pressure, she needs to be reasonably compensated, where do you put the line between reasonable compensation and someone doing it purely for the money?”
“I think it is wrong to take away those who opt to help others but at a cost. I would still think we keep it in that we possibly put in the Act that the cost shouldn’t be excessive such that it becomes a commercial venture where people will come to the village to become surrogates just because of the fact to make a killing,” added Dr. Busingye.
