A specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology said it remains uncertain whether patients will return for tailored counselling after storing their embryos or gametes for a certain period of time.

The government is looking to make it a requirement for licensed centres under its proposal to lift the storage period restriction for frozen eggs, sperm or embryos.

In an interview broadcast on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme,
Dr Alice Wong, a council member of the Hong Kong Society for Reproductive Medicine, pointed out that present freezing technique allows embryos and gametes to be stored longer than the current limit of a decade.

"Theoretically, with our present freezing technique we can freeze the embryos and eggs for much longer than 10 years... of course the problem is whether it is feasible for the woman to bear the pregnancy 17 years after [she freezes her eggs] so there are still other limitations," she said.

With the changes possible in the future, Wong believes people will consider freezing the embryos or gametes at an earlier age to harvest eggs with higher quality.

She said this means that patients can undergo fewer harvest and thus, save money from carrying out the procedure.

Under the proposed amendments, the government is also planing to make it mandatory for centres to provide patients information such as the risks of egg retrieval.

Wong, who's also the Vice President of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Hong Kong, pointed out that centres have already been doing so.