A Taiwanese fertility clinic refused eggs from a lesbian donor because recipients fear homosexuality is hereditary.

The 22-year-old woman surnamed Chang told the Apple Daily that her donation was immediately refused when the Stork Ladies Clinic in the northern city of Hsinchu found out she was a lesbian.

Chang registered as a donor online a month ago and was invited to have a physical examination at the clinic. A nurse then gave her a questionnaire to fill in. One of the questions was, ‘Have you had any homosexual contact in the last eight years?’

Chang said she had many gay friends, to which the nurse asked if she was gay. When Chang affirmed that she was, the questionnaire was cut short and her eggs refused.

The clinic apologized for the nurse’s impolite language and any discomfort caused. It said it tried to explain to Chang but had not been able to contact her. It said the questionnaire was formulated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and if recipients wanted to know the sexual orientation of donors, it should not be left to medical institutions to ask.

The Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy said all gay people were from heterosexual families so there was no evidence that homosexuality was hereditary. It said the clinic had invaded Chang’s privacy and discriminated against lesbians.

The health ministry said the question about homosexual contact was included to take into account the incubation period of AIDS. It said the questionnaire was only a reference and should not be used to refuse donations. It said it would invite experts to re-evaluate the questions.