Paper short abstract:

In Switzerland in 2022, married lesbian couples gained access to fertility clinics. Yet, some couples may still prefer to travel abroad due to ART restrictions. Drawing on interviews with lesbian couples who accessed ART abroad, we examine disruptions and continuities in their medical care.

Paper long abstract:

On 1 July 2022, marriage became legal for same-sex couples in Switzerland, allowing married lesbian couples to benefit from ART and the recognition of co-maternity from birth. Before that, lesbian couples had to resort to reproductive travel to access ART abroad. Pre-insemination tests and treatments were conducted in Switzerland, as well as the rest of the medical follow-up after pregnancy was achieved. However, despite the legal change, lesbian couples may still prefer to travel abroad to access ART, because of restrictive Swiss regulations, some technologies such as egg donation (reception of oocytes from partner) remaining forbidden, even for married couples. In addition, childbirth and parenting culture in Switzerland remain strongly heteronormative and health providers in Switzerland are ill prepared to welcome lesbian couples, including in fertility clinics. In consequence, reproductive travels will still be preferred by some couples, while Swiss health providers have always been involved in these care trajectories, before and after the insemination abroad.

Based on in-depth interviews with Swiss lesbian couples who accessed ART abroad, and previous medical fieldworks in Switzerland, this paper delves into continuities and ruptures in their medical follow-up. How did they experience pregnancy follow-up and childbirth once back in Switzerland? What kind of collaborations have developed between health professionals abroad and in Switzerland? We will also discuss the implications of the change of law for lesbian reproduction in Switzerland, the current shortcomings in heteronormative childbirth care and how best practices developed in fertility clinics abroad should be implemented in Switzerland.