The Right of Persons Who Have Undergone Sex Reassignment (Correction) Procedure for Cryopreserved Sperm, Oocytes, Embryons, Biological Material Disposal
Authors: Pokalchuk O. Y. 
Published: April 2021

The reproductive sphere and the family institution are at the rapid development and transformation now. Despite rather wide and solid scientific base of studies of assisted reproductive technologies, it should be stated that scientific interest is low in issues of access to the reproductive rights for particular categories of individuals, as well as there is lack of legal support for the application of assisted reproductive technologies in Ukraine. The problem of access to their own biological material for individuals who have undergone the sex change (correction) procedure has been considered by describing two practical examples. It is proposed to amend the list of information required from applicants, provided by the Order № 771 of 23.12.2008 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, eliminating the requirement to indicate sex, as the sex of an individual is not decisive for exercising the right to dispose of their own biological material. Also, the person is suggested to apply to the court in non-litigious (separate) proceedings to ascertain the fact that the person who applied to a health care institution for cryopreservation of sperm, oocytes, embryos or biological material, and the person who is currently applying for transportation or use of the same cryopreserved sperm, oocytes, embryos or biological material, is the same person. Such a litigation should be held in the same manner as a change of name, surname or patronymic, because the change (correction) of sex does not have legal consequences different from the change of name, surname or patronymic. It is concluded that there is the need for scientific research regarding the protection of the right to reproduction for various categories of subjects. Reproductive rights should remain protected and accessible to every person without redundant restrictions that are contrary to human rights.

The reproductive field of modern medicine, which has undergone rapid development in recent decades, is increasingly becoming interdisciplinary in nature, which is especially evident on the part of medical scientists and lawyers. In legal terms, today the need to study a wide range of issues of legal support for the use of reproductive technologies in Ukraine is significantly relevant. The answers to these questions should conceptualize views on the legal provision of reproductive medicine, as well as improve the provisions of current legislation and law enforcement practices in terms of proper functioning of the system of assisted reproductive technologies, which would meet recognized international standards and would not violate human rights. It is quite obvious that the relevant transformational changes and processes in the medical field, the latest advances in science and medicine in the field of reproductive medicine must be carried out within the legal field, which must be high quality, meet international standards and human rights. This implies the existence of a system of provisions of legislative acts or a separate legislative act that will not only ensure the rights to reproductive technologies, but also accompany their application, establish legal guarantees for the subjects of relations in the field of reproductive technology, promote overall development of reproductive technologies. Unfortunately, we see a tendency to seize human reproduction in general and reproductive rights in particular, from the medical and legal spheres, and use them in populist political manipulations through various forms of restriction of reproductive rights. The scientific, legal, medical, sociological and other communities must work together to ensure that reproductive rights remain protected and accessible to all without undue and human rights restrictions. Also, along with the rapid development of science in the field of reproduction, there are processes of transformation of family relations and values, which occur under the influence of modern globalization and transformation factors, in connection with the development of society and the state, science and practice. It is clear that these processes leave an imprint on the development of important institutional components of society, especially in the family sphere. In the scientific literature today, two points of view have been formed on the relevant issues. Yes, the modern institution of the family is not just changing, but prone to complete modernization, which involves the transition from classic family values to values where the central component is personal autonomy. Another point of view is that the institution of the family is at the stage of crisis destruction, emphasizing the negative consequences of changes in marital and family relations. There is, in our opinion, a third point of view, according to which the existence of the institution of the family today is absolutely unshakable, but, adapting to world change, the modern family is intervened by innovations in social, cultural, political, scientific spheres, which, on the one hand, opens more opportunities for modern people, and on the other - brings the family to a new axiological level. In our opinion, the corresponding point of view is the most progressive and liberal, because it assumes the stability of family relations and their steadfastness given the importance of the family and its centuries-old history of formation and development, while allowing for change in both the institution and attitude to him by society and the state.

Convinced that the attitude at the level of science and practice to the modification or transformation of modern family relations, which at the same time lead to a change in the family, should be balanced, objective, taking into account the variability of social relations, science, especially in medicine, and especially in the context of the use of assisted reproductive technologies. At the level of modern legal doctrine, the study of legal aspects of assisted reproductive technologies is multi-vector, especially in terms of studying their medical and legal nature, content, nature and consequences, accompanied by increasing relevance of their knowledge under the influence of rapid development of medicine, invention and implementation of new medical technologies. including in the field of reproduction. Modern scientific research on the legal aspects of assisted reproductive technologies is generally represented by a wide range of scientific papers, but most of them are multi-vector in nature, and scientific conclusions are mostly scattered and not systematized.