While France prohibits the societal self-preservation of oocytes, women go to foreign clinics to carry out their maternity project. Here are the reasons.
The decision of Facebook and Apple to finance the vitrification of the oocytes of its employees has caused an uproar in France, where this approach is only allowed for medical reasons. However, in many countries women can use this technique “for convenience”, that is, to preserve their fertility and give birth later.
This is the case with Spain. Since 2007, private clinics have been welcoming women who, after a certain age, still have not had children, but do not want to put a stop to their motherhood. While most of the patients are Spanish, these centers also attract French women wishing to take advantage of a prohibited act in their country.
“Here, the subject is not taboo”
“We see around ten French patients per year”, explains Cécile Gallo, gynecologist in one of the IVI centers, at the forefront of assisted reproduction. There are about twenty of them in Spain, and ten in South America. “Here, the subject is not taboo like in France, where we approach the question from a moral point of view. Oocyte vitrification is one option among all the possible treatments to access the maternity hospital. “
The profiles of these French women are similar. Close to quarantine, they have responsible, heavy and time-consuming jobs. The biological clock goes by without their having been able to conceive of a family life, and without a plan to found one in the immediate future. “I have never met women who came on a” whim “to deliberately postpone the moment of their motherhood. Simply, life has meant that they still do not have children and they do not want to give it up. “
Listen to Cécile Gallo, gynecologist at the IVI center (Spain): “It’s a fantasy to believe that women wish to be in this situation. They don’t do it with a happy heart ”.
An expensive process
These women have something else in common: a well-stocked wallet – or a real willingness to sacrifice. All costs included, it takes around 3500 euros for an oocyte cycle. “During the first appointment, we take stock of the patient’s situation. We check the absence of contraindications, and above all, we look at her age and her ovarian reserve (the oocyte capital of women) to know what are the real chances of leading to a pregnancy, and in order to transmit the appropriate message. It is a question of not giving him false hope ”.
In fact, vitrification of oocytes is not always successful. When the puncture of the eggs occurs at age 35, the chances of pregnancy are in the order of 50%. They decrease with age.
After this appointment, the woman takes an ovarian stimulation treatment, similar to that given for in vitro fertilization. “This is a do-it-yourself hormonal injection every day for 10 days. Monitoring takes place remotely ”. Next comes the collection of oocytes. The operation is performed under anesthesia. Guided by the ultrasound, the practitioner punctures the ovary and aspirates the follicles in which the oocytes are located, which are then frozen in liquid nitrogen, at -196 degrees.
Listen to Cécile Gallo: “You have to do the operation twice to optimize the chances of success.”
“This is not a trivial operation. There may be thromboembolic complications related to ovarian stimulation, or the risk of hemorrhage related to the puncture. Even if these risks are minimal – of the order of 0.5% – they must still be taken into account, ”she emphasizes.
“Mentalities are changing”
Cécile Gallo knows it well: in France, the approach is shaking up morals. “We took part in a report for a major French television channel three years ago. During the editing, the journalists had discussed in vitro fertilization and egg donation, but had nothing left about oocyte vitrification. There was a form of censorship… It is something that disturbs, and the patients feel stigmatized, judged. But mentalities are changing. “
The ethical drifts denounced by many people, especially in France, do not scare him. “Ideological point of view! she denounces. What must absolutely be avoided is to lock women in a trap. Society should not force them to have children late on the pretext that it is possible. That’s all. “.
Listen to Cécile Gallo: ” This technique does not increase the number of requests. She meets a need “.
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