Assisted reproduction
Published on 23 April 2025
Medically assisted procreation enables people facing infertility or unable to conceive naturally to realize their parental project. Since the bioethics law of 2021, all women can have access to it, whether they are in a couple or not. Some techniques rely on gamete donation, an essential act of solidarity. The Agence de la biomédecine oversees all activities linked to medically assisted procreation in France.
Supervising medical practices
Medically assisted reproduction covers a number of techniques, including in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination and fertility preservation. The Agence de la biomédecine is involved in drawing up the regulations governing these practices, and oversees their implementation. It issues opinions on the authorization of centers' activities, grants authorization for the transfer of embryos, and supports healthcare professionals by drawing up recommendations for good practice. The Agency also supports medical and scientific research, notably by funding innovative projects.
Ensuring the quality and safety of care
The Agency monitors, evaluates and controls activities related to medically assisted procreation. It manages the national registry of medically assisted procreation, and collects and analyzes activity data to produce performance indicators for monitoring practices throughout France. These data are used to produce publications and reports for professionals and decision-makers. Its missions also include inspections and the implementation of a vigilance system to detect, report and analyze incidents and undesirable effects that may occur in the course of care. The Agency also assesses the potential consequences of medically assisted reproduction techniques on the health of patients and children born as a result of these procedures.
Informing and supporting the general public
The Agence de la biomédecine informs the general public about medically assisted procreation, the conditions for accessing it, and the options available. It carries out information campaigns in conjunction with its institutional partners, healthcare professionals and patient associations. The aim is to enable everyone to understand their rights, access reliable information and combat misconceptions and misinformation. In some cases, it may be necessary to donate gametes. This act relies on the generosity of donors, without whom many parental projects would not be possible. Agence France-Presse informs the public about these public health issues, and deploys wide-ranging measures to promote donation and recruit donors, in close collaboration with healthcare professionals and patient associations.