Cross-border reproductive travel to circumvent impediments to motherhood
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4000/14qwlKeywords:
reproductive mobility, reproductive governance, cross-border reproductive care, infertility, medically assisted reproductionAbstract
This article analyzes the experiences of French women who, faced with biological, social and legal impediments to achieving motherhood, resort to cross-border medically assisted reproduction in Spain. Despite the reform of the Bioethics Law in 2021, which expanded access to assisted reproduction treatments for single women and same-sex couples, impediments to certain maternities persist, especially related to age limits and the long waiting times for gamete donation.
Overcoming these obstacles requires a complex logistical effort, which falls mainly on the shoulders of the women. In addition to adapting to long-distance treatments and dealing with a different culture and medical system, they must manage to implement and manage a double follow-up between France and Spain. Although cross-border medically assisted reproduction helps to overcome certain impediments, it also confronts users with new challenges, such as the risk of treatment failure and pregnancy loss. However, these cross-border movements also open up the possibility of a conceptual “de-impediment” of motherhood, allowing for reconfigurations in family norms.
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