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Assisted Reproduction

Large Protests Continue In France Opposing IVF & Surrogacy For Same-Sex Couples

Sadly, hatred and bigotry continues to stand in the way of loving couples having families:

Tens of thousands of French protesters took to the streets of Paris and Bordeaux on Sunday, to demonstrate against assisted pregnancies and surrogacy, particularly for gay couples.

The adamantly anti-gay Manif Pour Tous (Protest for all) organised the demonstrations. The group became well known last year for organising sometimes violent, but ultimately unsuccessful protests against same-sex marriage last year.

Around a thousand police were in attendance at the Paris protest which went ahead despite assurances from Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who said surrogacy “is and will remain banned in France.”

Despite claims from the group that 500,000 took part in the demonstration in Paris, police said 70,000 were there. Similarly in Bordeaux, organisers claimed 30,000 attended, but official reports stated that the number was closer to 7,500.

The campaign claims surrogacy and IVF are anti-family, and some equated surrogate mothers to slaves. Others said the next step would be commercially producing babies, to allow gay and lesbian couples to take their pick.

Although the campaign, similar to demonstrations last year, is very vocal, recent polls suggest that less than a third of French voters agree with its sentiments.

A small counter-protest took place in Paris, but an AllOut petition had gathered over 200,000 signatures by the end of Sunday.

Discussion

2 comments for “Large Protests Continue In France Opposing IVF & Surrogacy For Same-Sex Couples”

  • Sally

    I cant say anything about surrogacy for the same sex couples. but for me and my husband surrogace helped so much.

    My husband
    and me faced one of the most horrible time of our life. We couldn’t have
    children after my first pregnancy. Our first child was born in 2007. Unfortunately,
    I had the bad consequences. The first pregnancy led to the hormonal disorder.
    I couldn’t conceive any more. I consulted different doctors. But almost all of them confirmed that the
    pregnancy would be able to do harm to me and me future baby. It was very
    difficult for me to realize that I couldn’t have children. It’s hard to say how
    it was more painful. That fact had a big impact on our family life. But deep in
    the soul my husband and me didn’t stop dreaming. Our hope totally disappeared.
    We continued doing a lot of medical tests and consultations. In the end we
    understood that it was totally impossible. The doctors were just like all together
    told us the same things. They were sure that the future pregnancies would be
    life-threatening for the child. We were frustrated. We didn’t know what to do.
    We tried to find out whether it was the end or not. First of all we thought
    about adoption. We thought that in such way we could also help the child. There
    are so many children that don’t have parents. These children would be so happy with
    the parents. I am sure that this is a very noble thing. After thinking I changed
    my opinion. I realized that I would like to have a baby that would be connected
    genetically with me. That’s why we were obliged to start researching the new possibilities.
    Then we thought about surrogacy with egg
    donation. We didn’t well know who it works. For us it was difficult to take up
    such decision. However, we didn’t have other options. We considered where it
    would be better to do. We were surprised that surrogacy was legal just in few
    countries. We need to find out all the peculiarities, all the specific of the
    process. We are from USA. Surrogacy
    is legal in some states of our country. But it costs too much via agency. Then
    we started looking for the surrogate independently. We found a lot of ads of
    surrogates. In a fact, we faced a lot of problems. We were new at this process.
    We needed a lawyer to regulate the process. The services of the lawyer turned
    out to be rather expensive. Then we calculated all the possible expenses for
    all the medical test and consultations for surrogate mother. We would also have
    to pay a big sum of money personally for the surrogate. And we would have to
    pay for IVF procedure. In total all the expenses would be huge. And the thing
    that frightened us was that we couldn’t take any control of the surrogate. It
    would be difficult psychologically. I thought that there should be third
    unbiased part. It would be unbelievably hard to cope with everything. So we
    rejected this idea with independent surrogate in the USA. We found good reviews about
    clinics in Ukraine.
    We got to know that the total program in Ukraine
    cost less it would cost in the US.
    We decided got on a roll. We got to know
    about Biotexcom from other couple. This Ukrainian clinic is rather popular.
    Before going to Ukraine
    the first time I contacted to a manager. She gave me all the necessary
    information. After that we could plan and arrange our arrival. When we came to Kiev we were met by a
    driver from that clinic. He took us to the hotel. The hotel was rather nice.
    Actually, we didn’t expect that it would be so nice. Because the transfer and
    hotel was free of charge for us. We were not obliged to sign the contract. The
    next day we had an appointment with the doctor. The driver came to take us for
    the clinic. It was early in the morning, it was about 9 o’clock. The manger I
    contacted previously met us and explained the agenda for the day. We felt a
    little bit uncomfortable because only managers spoke English. Then we got
    accustomed. The manager explained us everything. My husband had to take semen
    analysis and blood test. I had to do blood test, too. The embryologist gave the
    results of semen analysis in an hour. After getting the result we could talk
    with the doctor. The doctor studied all our medical records. She answered our
    questions. Then we discussed the peculiarities for the contract. And finally we
    singed it. I was prescribed the medicament for ovary stimulation. Approximately
    in 5 weeks I had a puncture. We were lucky to start the program very soon.
    There are of couples. Most of them have to wait about 2 or three months. There
    was a free surrogate mother in the stimulation. She turned to be compatible for
    me and my husband. In general everything was perfect. Briefly speaking I was
    satisfied with our decision. One of the most considerable advantages of this
    clinic was successful result. I was satisfied with medical staff and manager’s
    work. They were really attentive to us. The prices were affordable, too. There
    were a lot of lines. We had to wait about three hours without eating anything.
    It seemed that I could lose consciousness. It was a little bit inconvenient.
    But it was ok. I understand that everywhere it is possible to find drawbacks.
    Our manager accompanied us when we were in the clinic. You know waiting several
    months meant nothing for us after waiting years before. We met our surrogate
    mother at the week twelve. It was a beautiful young woman of 26 years. She had
    two children of her of own. We came in two weeks before the delivery. The
    maternity house was different than the American one. After delivery the process
    of child registration took about one month. The Biotexcom prepared for us the
    package of documents for the Embassy. We got the medical certificate from the
    maternity house. Then we got birth certificate at civil registry office in our
    names.The surrogate mother wrote renunciation from the child. All the documents
    were translated and apostilled. Then we came to Embassy of USA with all the
    documents. We also had to take the additional DNA test there. Besides that, we
    did one in the clinic. The whole process took about a month. In the conclusion,
    we got passport of US
    citizenship for our baby. Biotexcom helped my dreams come true. I am happy to
    realize that all that way was done not in vane. We achieved success. I think
    that all the couples believe in happy end they will get it for sure. The only
    thing is to have the real and sincere desire. We were also lucky to have
    experience with Biotexcom, and we didn’t go anywhere else.

  • Elaine

    I am shoked of people who have this attitude to the surrogacy. It is so ridiculous and so narrow. When I saw the picture it was clear what kind of people wrote this. Those who think that surrogacy exists just to make gays happy. Or to help women who do not want to ruin their perfect bodies to get children. And exactly these people call the surrogacy procedure `a child sale`. But those do not take into consideration NOT gay couples. These two words surrogacy and gays do not always go together. The surrogacy is the only way to have a child.It can be genetically related at least to one of the parents who are infertile. These desperate people who deserve to be parents but are not able due to some medical issues are blocked into the wall. And just surrogacy can help them. I appreciate and respect so much those countries who are trying to help their citizens. And foreigners deserve too become parents. And those women who agree to carry child for another woman… They are just amazing. It is difficult to find a right word to describe them. Sure they get money for it… And most of people do it for money. But why not? They are doing nothing else but helping people. And when you are helping someone so much, this person, 100 % sure, will want to give something to you. It is like saying Thank You. Why not money? If someone needs it so much… Well, I am just so much FOR surrogacy. And FOR people who are helping to create new lives… And I am so much AGAINST those who are so narrow that think that surrogacy is only for gay people. And judges both surrogacy and gays. That is so discrimination.

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