Rivet-Danon, Diane

The revision of the bioethics law, two years on: Major principles and consequences for practice in the reproductive biology laboratory - 2023.


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Since 1994, in France, the bioethics law has set out the regulatory framework for medically assisted reproduction (MAR). The latest revision of the law, made on August 2, 2021, is characterized by major upheavals in the field of MAR and affects several areas: the purpose of and conditions for accessing MAR, access to origins in the case of gamete or embryo donation, and gamete cryopreservation without medical indication. Because of strong societal demand, the law authorizes the extension of sperm donation to same-sex female couples, as well as the possibility for any person to preserve his/her gametes if he/she meets the age criteria defined by decree. Finally, the law makes it possible for people born following gamete or embryo donation to have access, from their 18th birthday, to identifying and/or non-identifying data. These new measures have led to a huge number of MAR requests to fertility and donation centers, and have required the implementation of new systems in order to harmonize care, without discrimination or prioritization.