Fertility-drug twins beat China's one-child law

Similar reports from hospitals across China have prompted a stern rebuke from bureaucrats at the Ministry of Health, which recently ordered hospitals not to prescribe the drugs to women who did not require them on grounds of infertility. And, right on cue, a barrage of horror stories has appeared in the state media to convince couples not to take the risk.

The news agency Xinhua warned readers that "according to some surveys" taking fertility drugs was highly dangerous. The Yangcheng Evening News told readers of a woman in Guangzhou who took fertility pills but instead of getting pregnant suffered dizziness and vomiting. Her doctor warned her she could be sterilised as a penalty for taking the medicine.

Few Chinese appear to be paying attention, however, and the authorities are now reconsidering the rules and punishments associated with the one-child policy.

Arthur Dewey, the Bush administration's senior envoy to China on population issues, told the US Congress on December 14 that the system was breaking down.

"The Chinese government, in our view, may be beginning to understand that its coercive birth-planning regime has had extremely negative social, economic and human rights effects," Dewey said.

American officials believe that the Chinese government is worried about the unintended consequences of its one-child edict. The national census of 2000 revealed that 117 boys are born alive in China for every 100 girls -- the result of sex- selective abortion to satisfy the traditional demand for sons.

Nonetheless, legislation introduced in 2002 still requires birth control and imposes penalties on married couples who break the rules.

(Edit:Ruby)