Latvia

Latvia Information Region Europe Population 2270700 GDP (millions USD) 27,341 National Policies Eggs for assisted reproduction permitted Eggs for research permitted Inheritable genetic modification ? Preimplantation genetic diagnosis social uses prohibited Reproductive cloning PROHIBITED Research cloning PROHIBITED Sex selection Social uses prohibited Surrogacy commercial prohibited International Agreements 1997 COE Biomedicine Convention signed 1998 COE Cloning Convention signed 2005 UN Cloning Vote no 2005 UNESCO Sports Doping Convention RATIFIED 2007 Treaty of Lisbon RATIFIED

Key laws and policies

• Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health eksuālās un reproduktīvās veselības likums, July 2002, amended 2004) (English translation available at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---ilo_aids/documents/legaldocument/wcms_127921.pdf.)

• See also specific regulations defined and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, e.g. Regulation No. 716.

• The Latvian Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians has also developed clinical guidelines: “Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility. Clinical guidelines.” (See http://www.vmnvd.gov.lv/lv/420-kliniskas-vadlinijas/klinisko-vadliniju-datu-baze/registretas-2012gada/neauglbas-diagnostika-un-rstana-klnisks-vadlnijas.)

• Surrogacy is neither expressly prohibited nor permitted by law in Latvia, but it is reported that it is not practiced (IFFS Surveillance, 2013).

Prohibited practices

Articles 15 and 16 of the Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health prohibit:

• Reproductive cloning
• The creation of human embryos for research purposes
• Social sex selection
• Commercial uses of gametes and embryos

Surrogacy is not permitted.

Permitted and regulated practices

Assisted Reproduction (See Articles 12-22)

• Assisted reproduction is available to heterosexual couples.
• Infertility is a requirement.
• Donor gametes may be used.
• Male sperm donors must be 18 to 45 years and female egg donors 18 to 35 years (Section 17).
• It is prohibited to use a donor to create more than three children.
• Payment is not allowed.

External links

BioMed Research International Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 307160, 14 pages

Francesco Paolo Busardò, et al. "The Evolution of Legislation in the Field of Medically Assisted Reproduction and Embryo Stem Cell Research in European Union Members." BioMed Research International, Volume 2014 (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/307160; http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/307160/, (accessed 22 February 2015).