The long-invisible and often secretive issue of infertility was discussed in detail by Emmanuel Macron during his press conference on January 16th. By announcing the establishment of a big plan to combat infertilitythe President of the Republic has placed this issue at the center of the public debate.

In France, one in four couples has difficulty having a child. In most cases, no one knows anything about their journey. Neither her family nor her friends and certainly not her employer. They keep it secret. The result: a lot of stress and pressure – because you have to avoid the questions of those around you and organize your everyday life according to medically supported reproductive procedures. Breaking the taboo of infertility is Virginie Rio’s fight BAMP collective, an association of patients with medically assisted reproduction and infertile people. She gave an interview World As part of the Podcast (In)fertile.

Listen too Infertility: Why is it so taboo?

You have been fighting to bring infertility out of the shadows for more than ten years. Emmanuel Macron’s announcements have brought this issue to the forefront. But privately he often remains secret. For what ?

The affected couples wish to leave this in the private sector. We live in a performance society. You have to succeed, you have to stay young. By talking about infertility, you are showing failure. They show that something that has been done so simply for thousands of years can be complicated. Talking about sexuality is difficult.

When we plan to have a child, we don’t spontaneously wonder about our fertility. Is there a lack of information on this topic?

Fertility should be a matter of public responsibility. As we prevent cancer or our children’s teeth, the information should be better disseminated. The better informed we are, the better we can make decisions.

We often meet couples who are shocked to discover that they are in an infertility situation. They had never thought about it and therefore hadn’t expected it. They were far from imagining that fertility declines with age, that it could be affected by sexually transmitted diseases or a whole range of pathologies. You will learn that lifestyle, healthy living and endocrine disruptors can play a role. And then, on the second blow, we explain to them that medically assisted reproduction (AMP) is not very effective and that the journeys are long and difficult and interfere with daily life.

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