Four-year PMA law coverage for all: 'Some centers find reasons to deny it'
In April 2023, Maryline, a Parisian graphic designer, embarked on her journey of medically assisted procreation (PMA) at Tenon Hospital in Paris. However, her experience is not representative of all single women in France seeking PMA.
Before the 2021 bioethics law, women in France had to go abroad for a long and costly PMA process. The law, enacted on August 2, 2021, has enabled single women like Maryline to seek treatment legally in fertility clinics within France.
Yet, access remains a challenging issue due to a combination of legal, social, and resource-related factors within healthcare facilities. Demand has increased sharply among single women seeking to become mothers, which, combined with limited public resources and infrastructure, has led to long waiting times for treatment in public fertility centers.
Some healthcare providers and parts of society still exhibit traditional reservations about single motherhood and assisted reproduction outside of heterosexual couples, creating social and bureaucratic hurdles. Challenges faced by single women seeking PMA in France include limited availability of fertility treatments, ethical and societal debates affecting access and attitudes, legal regulations impose careful limits on donor sperm use, and regional variations in practical implementation.
Discrimination against single women seeking PMA is a concern raised by the Mam'enSolo association, which has collected testimonies of single women experiencing discrimination in PMA centers. Some PMA centers may look for excuses to refuse the journey for single women, or make them feel like they're taking the place of infertile couples. Single women may also be judged for their choices and considered incapable of making decisions by some PMA centers.
Maryline is overjoyed about the fact that children conceived through PMA will now be able to know the name of their genetic father. She gave birth to a baby girl in May 2023, thanks to the 2021 bioethics law. Tenon Hospital in Paris offers psychological support and dedicated support groups for single women undergoing PMA, which has been beneficial to Maryline's journey.
Despite the challenges, the 2021 bioethics law has enabled the growth of PMA among single women, with approximately 10% of PMA requests in France today coming from "single moms." Efforts to improve equitable access and reshape attitudes among medical professionals and society are ongoing but unevenly realized. The association advises single women to turn to hospital mediation services in case of potentially discriminatory situations.
In conclusion, while French law formally supports single women’s access to assisted reproduction, challenges persist regarding resource allocation in healthcare settings, social acceptance, and legal limits impacting donor availability. The journey for single women seeking PMA in France is far from smooth, but progress is being made.
- Some single women in France still face challenges due to social and bureaucratic hurdles, as well as limited availability of fertility treatments, even after the 2021 bioethics law enabled them to seek treatment within the country.
- The growth of medically assisted procreation (PMA) among single women in France has been promoting a shift in focus towards women's health, family health, and mental health, with some healthcare providers offering psychological support and dedicated support groups.
- The demand for PMA among single women in France has seen an increase, but the limited public resources and infrastructure have resulted in long waiting times for treatment, complicating the journey for these women.
- Organizations such as the Mam'enSolo association have raised concerns over discrimination against single women seeking PMA, with testimonies showing that some PMA centers may refuse treatment or make single women feel less prioritized compared to infertile couples.
