A woman in Croatia, who tried multiple times before getting pregnant with twins, highlights the challenges of accessing fertility treatments across Europe. With over 1.1 million treatment cycles performed in 2021, fertility care is becoming increasingly common. However, access varies significantly from one country to another.
In some countries, same-sex couples cannot receive fertility treatments, while others allow egg donations for gay men and sperm donations for lesbian couples. Surrogacy is banned or restricted in most of Europe, with Italy’s recent law banning travel abroad for surrogacy making it harder for LGBTQ+ individuals to become parents.
Single women can access fertility treatments with donated sperm in 37 countries but only 28 allow donated eggs. Some governments have restrictive social criteria, such as age limits or medical conditions, that patients must meet before receiving treatment.
To combat these restrictions, some people are turning to “fertility tourism,” traveling abroad for care when domestic options are limited. Advocates argue that fertility care is a human rights issue and should be protected by law in the European Union.
Efforts are underway to address these disparities, with Poland’s recent decision to restore public funding for IVF being seen as a positive step towards normalizing fertility treatment. As Maciej Śmiechowski, a Polish professor who received IVF treatment, notes, “The climate around fertility treatment has changed,” and support for it is becoming more mainstream.
However, advocates emphasize that access to fertility treatments should prioritize people’s autonomy over their reproductive choices, with no government restrictions on when and how many children they can have.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/12/29/belgium-will-be-first-eu-state-to-ban-the-sale-of-vapes