2024-05-10 12:48:49
“Fertility check-up”, PMA, menopause… President Emmanuel Macron returned to various themes linked to fertility and the lives of women, in an interview on Wednesday with Elle magazine. He notably announced that he wanted to improve access to medically assisted procreation (PMA), also specified his vast plan against infertility which will begin with a complete assessment for everyone around the age of 20.
The Head of State announced this plan to boost the birth rate during a press conference on January 16. “Every woman must freely dispose of her body. But one figure appeals to me: the fertility rate is 1.8 and the child desire rate is 2.3,” he declared to the women’s magazine in this interview covering several subjects considered to be important for the female electorate.
“Fertility check-up” from the age of 20
He specified that his plan to combat infertility would revolve around “prevention”, the “pathway” and “research”. He thus states that a “fertility check-up”, around the age of 20, would be offered to everyone and reimbursed by health insurance in order to “establish a complete assessment, spermogram (or) ovarian reserve”. “We are going to organize campaigns in favor of self-preservation of oocytes for women who want to have children later,” he also indicated.
To reduce waiting times for access to PMA – currently 16 to 24 months – Emmanuel Macron intends to “open up oocyte self-preservation to private centers” which was “until now reserved for hospital establishments”.
Opposition to GPA
On the other hand, the Head of State renews in this interview with Elle his opposition to surrogacy (GPA). “I say it again, I am not in favor of it. It is not compatible with the dignity of women, it is a form of commodification of their bodies,” he insists.
“That said, I obviously think that parents of children born through surrogacy abroad must be respected and supported. They are loving families,” he adds.
A recurring subject of political discord, GPA resurfaced in the news at the end of April with a tweet from Marion Maréchal. The head of the Reconquest list in the European elections reacted to the announcement of the paternity of fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus and her husband with a message asking “Where is the mother?” “. “I was shocked by the way this controversy arose, and by what it says about the homophobia of certain French political parties,” said Emmanuel Macron.
“Duty to visit”
Emmanuel Macron also suggested in a video broadcast by Elle magazine on Tuesday evening to open a “debate” on the establishment of a possible “duty to visit” fathers in single-parent families, mainly the responsibility of women. “I want us to be able to open this debate, which is basically both a debate on parenthood and a debate on equality between women and men, which is that of establishing a visiting duty, a duty support until adulthood, for children,” declared the president.
A message hammered home in the written interview published this Wednesday: “There must no longer just be a right but a duty of visitation, a duty of monitoring, of education, of continuing the parental project beyond the couple. That’s the key: a parental project. It should not stop at the separation of a couple when it occurs. Gender equality is also that,” he said.
“Birth leave” in the pipeline
Emmanuel Macron returned, during this interview, to the government’s plan to introduce “birth leave” to replace the current parental leave. It will be “shorter and better paid”, he promised, and will be “three months for mothers, three months for fathers, cumulative during the child’s first year”. Concerning the compensation for this leave which will come into force at the end of 2025, it will be “up to 50% of the salary” up to 1,900 euros, up to the Social Security ceiling. “Birth leave” will be added to paternity and maternity leave.
A parliamentary mission on menopause
The Head of State also raised the subject of menopause, which is defined as the cessation of menstruation (or “amenorrhea”) for more than a year, without an identified cause, and occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. (at 51 years on average in France). “We realized that we knew very little about this subject. It is a real taboo in society, with all the consequences it brings, hormonal imbalances and pathologies, deplores the president. I tend to think that if men were confronted with it, this subject would have been dealt with much more quickly! “, he added.
To “catch up on this delay”, Emmanuel Macron indicated that he would like “a parliamentary mission to take up the issue and take stock of the current management of menopause (treatments, support, osteoporosis, cardio and psychological monitoring). ) and the difficulties encountered by women in terms of information and monitoring. »
This mission will be entrusted to MP Stéphanie Rist and Professor Florence Trémollières, head of the menopause center at Toulouse University Hospital, he further clarified. The High Authority for Health was also asked to define “a practice and guidelines on hormonal treatments during menopause. »
Consent in the law
Asked about a possible redefinition of the notion of consent, Emmanuel Macron indicated that he wanted the law “to be clear, fully objective and respectful of our principles. »
“This is the work I asked of parliamentarians. They are currently working on this subject with the Minister of Justice,” he declared, specifying that a proposed text could see the light of day “by the end of the year”.
“Demographic rearmament” in question
Worried about the declining female fertility rate in the country, the president declared his desire to “demographic rearmament” of the country. A formulation criticized by many feminist activists.
“I used (this expression) by extending the metaphor to other sectors. This is to say that the strength of a nation also lies in its capacity to generate a dynamic birth rate. But the key is that we must articulate the objective of a nation with individual freedoms and the choices of each person. Every woman must freely dispose of her body,” he assured.
For the newspaper Elle, Emmanuel Macron again declared: “We must not make those who do not want to have children feel guilty, but the poor organization of our society must not prevent women and families from having them if they want it.”
“No complacency” towards Depardieu
Emmanuel Macron also assured that there was “no complacency” towards the actor Gérard Depardieu, claiming to have “never defended an aggressor in the face of victims”.
“Just a desire to respect our principles, such as the presumption of innocence. These same principles which will allow justice to rule next October and that is a good thing,” he added.
The Head of State assured that he had “deep respect, goodwill and great confidence for and in the words of women” and said he was “uncompromising on the issue of rape, domination, this culture of brutality.” “My priority has always been the protection of victims, and this is also the case for the Depardieu affair,” he continued.
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