The French government has sent draft legislation to parliament that would allow in-vitro fertilization (IVF) for lesbian couples and single women. Ireland already permits this. Countries such as Germany, Austria and Italy do not.
The bioethics bill, which would also allow women to freeze their eggs for non-medical reasons, is the first major societal reform by centrist President Emmanuel Macron. It was delayed while anti-government “yellow vest” protests roiled the country. Only six years ago, former President Francois Hollande’s legislation allowing gay marriage faced strong opposition.
While female same-sex couples would be enabled to have children through this legislation, male couples still won’t have any such pathway as surrogacy will remain banned, with the government deeming the issue too incendiary. “It would have raised the issue of the commercialization of women’s bodies,” Buzyn said.
The bill also ends anonymity for sperm donors, who will have to agree to having their identity revealed if their children ask to know their biological father when they turn 18.
