In France, the examination of the bioethics bill, which provides for assisted reproduction for all, begins its last parliamentary stage on Monday. A final shuttle between the National Assembly and the Senate. It s ...

France: assisted reproduction for all women, home stretch

Medically assisted procreation or PMA, designates the medical practices allowing to assist procreation in the event of impossibility to have a child.

Text by: Marie Casadebaig Follow

4 min

In France, the examination of the bioethics bill, which provides for assisted reproduction for all, begins its last parliamentary stage on Monday.

A final shuttle between the National Assembly and the Senate.

This is the 3rd reading for this text.

Publicity

It is a rather atypical course for this bill which deeply divides parliamentarians.

It began in the fall of 2019. A year ago, the Senate, mostly on the right, voted in favor of opening the PMA for all women, but ruled out its coverage by Social Security.

It therefore became payable for single people and couples of women.

Second reading, early 2021. Senators adopt a text, cut off from this flagship measure.

So today we are back to square one, or almost.

The deputies left for 12 and a half hours of debate, by Friday 11 June.

The text will be considered again in the Senate on June 24.

The last word will come back to the National Assembly in early July.

MPs very divided

1,550 amendments have been tabled.

Two-thirds by the right-wing opposition.

For her, this text makes it possible to voluntarily deprive a child of a father.

It also ratifies the right to a child, which could one day open up access to surrogacy, surrogacy, to single men and male couples.

The majority, however, keep repeating that resorting to a surrogate mother is an insurmountable red line.

The right accuses the executive of wanting to impose a forced passage of this text.

In a recent column in the daily

La Croix

, nearly 80 parliamentarians Les Républicains denounced a lack of sense of the government's priorities.

They believe that there are much more urgent matters for an already overwhelmed Parliament.

And that societal issues can wait as the country goes through a health crisis.

An election promise

For Emmanuel Macron, it is a question of keeping a promise, that of a societal reform which would mark his five-year term.

The only one ... But women have been waiting for much longer, since it was also a promise from Socialist President François Hollande.

Many hoped that the opening of PMA would accompany

Marriage for All in 2013

Now, for these women, nine years is an eternity.

The lucky ones choose to go abroad.

Eleven countries of the European Union have already opened up assisted reproduction to all women.

Some have even opened their borders to those who cannot use them in their own country.

This is particularly the case for Spain, Belgium, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

Obviously, all this at a cost: between 6,000 and 11,000 euros.

Mobilization of anti

The activists of the Manif pour tous, who had fought homosexual marriage in 2013, are still very mobilized.

They are also planning rallies this Monday and Tuesday in front of the Assembly.

At the start of 2020, they were more than 40,000 marching in the streets of Paris.

But their position is in the minority.

A survey carried out by the Ifop institute for the association of homoparental families indicates this Monday, June 7 that

67% of those questioned are in favor of assisted reproduction for all

Marlène Schiappa, the Deputy Minister in charge of citizenship, hopes for the first pregnancies, possible thanks to this law, at the start of the September 2021 school year.

But if we are to believe the associations, his wish remains pious.

They recall that in assisted reproduction centers, there is an average waiting period of one year for heterosexual couples for insemination with a sperm donor, and three years if there is a need for a donation. oocytes.

By then, many women will still have crossed borders to achieve their family project or will have had recourse to artisanal inseminations, outside of any medical framework.

France: assisted reproduction for all women, home stretch

France: assisted reproduction for all women, home stretch

MPs very divided

An election promise

Mobilization of anti

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest