A health ministry panel deliberating over a fertility treatment has agreed to prohibit use of an egg fertilized with sperm provided separately by a third person when both members of a couple are sterile.
As a result, there must be a biological link to at least one of the parents. However, the panel on Friday approved the use of frozen fertilized eggs that are no longer needed by another couple.
The panel also approved the use of such fertilized eggs when only the wife is sterile and it is difficult to locate unfertilized eggs.
In each case, the panel approved the use on condition approval is only granted following deliberations by a public third body and after thorough counseling.
In terms of treatment based on provision of both eggs and sperm, an expert panel last year approved such treatment only when it is difficult to get fertilized eggs that are no longer needed.
However, on Friday the panel considered the fact that the use of unneeded fertilized eggs is only approved for use in research on human embryonic stem cells, and it decided not to approve making artificially fertilized eggs available for fertility treatment.