London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

France has legalized fertility treatments for lesbian and single women. A sperm shortage could slow things down

France has legalized fertility treatments for lesbian and single women. A sperm shortage could slow things down

Aurore Foursy describes her first date with Julie Ligot as one of the longest in history. After matching on Tinder, they met up at Julie's apartment on Friday night and stayed together until Monday. The chemistry was instant.

Foursy was a lifelong LGBT activist. Ligot worked in IT. They were both in their 30s and wanted children. They soon moved in together, cleared a second room in their apartment and bought a crib. "It was logical for us to build a family together," said Foursy.

Thanks to a decree signed by the French health minister on Wednesday, their dream could finally come true. A law passed in June, legalizing fertility treatments for lesbian couples and single women, has now come into effect.

"It is a huge step for France," said Foursy. "We've been fighting so long for this right."

Aurore Foursy and Julie Ligot always knew they wanted to start a family together.


France is now among a total of 13 countries in Europe -- 11 EU member states as well as the UK and Iceland -- offering fertility treatment to both lesbian and single women. Fertility clinics expect a surge of demand.

"We are expecting an extra 200 patients per year," said Laurence Pavie, who works as a manager at the Diaconesses Croix Saint-Simon fertility center in Paris.

"The world needs to know that lesbian couples and single women are most welcome. We will try to give them the best treatment possible," she said.

Earlier this month, the Health Ministry announced an extra $9.3 million in spending on staffing and equipment for fertility clinics, to help them cope with the anticipated surge in demand. It aims to reduce the waiting time for treatment from one year, the current average, to six months.

A sperm donation crisis


For Dr. Meryl Toledano, who runs her own fertility clinic, this target seems ambitious. "With French sperm alone, we will struggle to meet the demand," she said.

France does not allow the importation of sperm from overseas. And because the law forbids sperm donation for money, France also struggles to produce enough of its own. The new legislation also includes an end to guaranteed anonymity for sperm donors from September 2022, a move likely to add to the shortage.

The most recent official figures show that a total of just 317 sperm donations were made in France in 2019 -- down from 386 in 2018, and 404 the year before.

The Agency of Biomedicine, a state-funded body, plans to launch an online information campaign on October 20 in a bid to address the sperm crisis.

"Donating sperm is an intimate action of solidarity," said Helene Duguet, a spokesperson for the agency. "The first step is to inform people that these donations are possible and can help people to form families. The idea is to encourage donors for years to come."

The long waiting times driven by the sperm shortage mean that many older lesbian and single women plan to continue going for fertility treatment overseas -- despite the new law.

Toledano often recommends that older women take this step.

"In Spain you can get sperm in one day, so patients with money go there. Those who don't have money have to wait 6 to 12 months and risk being unsuccessful because at the age of 40, this has an enormous effect on the probability of pregnancy," she said.

A traumatizing journey


Now 38, Marie conceived a child through IVF in Belgium back in 2015 -- back when it was still illegal for her, as a lesbian, to receive such treatment in France.

"It was annoying. I pay taxes in France and am proud to pay taxes and am happy that they could help others. But I would have been happy if I could have benefited too [from fertility treatment]," said Marie, who requested that CNN not use her surname to protect the privacy of her child.

After five years of failed attempts, heartbreak and more than $52,000 in medical fees and travel expenses alone, she was finally rewarded with the birth of her first child, Louise.

"My first fertility treatment course was a real trauma," she said. "I was frustrated that it wasn't working. I hated that others had so many unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. I grew bitter. I hated people. I became someone I didn't want to be."

Aurore Foursy feels the long fight for equal access to facility treatment has now been won.


In hope of having a second child, Marie has now gone to Spain with her new partner -- in part because she is scared of languishing on a waiting list in France.

"I won't put in the same time, energy or money. I already have a daughter and I don't want her not to go on holidays because we are trying to give her a little brother or sister -- and also because I am not the same age as I was back then," she said.

As well as the new rules around insemination, the legislation also allows women in their 30s to freeze their eggs, a procedure previously only available to those undergoing medical treatment likely to impact fertility. Surrogacy, however, remains illegal, leaving gay men, as well as women who cannot carry a pregnancy, to seek other options or travel abroad.

But for many, the new law has provided a glimmer of hope.

"The fight is over," said Foursy. "Everybody has the same rights. Every type of woman has the same rights and I can choose to be a mother or not by myself."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×