Towards an Inclusive Common European Framework for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): Queer Transgender Reproduction in the Age of ART.

Project Information

QTReproART

Grant agreement ID: 749218

DOI

10.3030/749218

Project closed

EC signature date 20 February 2017

Start date 1 August 2017

End date 31 July 2019

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 185 857,20

EU contribution

€ 185 857,20

Coordinated by

UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
Sweden

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - QTReproART (Towards an Inclusive Common European Framework for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): Queer Transgender Reproduction in the Age of ART.)

Reporting period: 2017-08-01 to 2019-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) has advanced and spread dramatically over the past two decades as fertility issues have risen and biotechnologies have advanced. However, regulations regarding ARTs vary across European countries, creating specific challenges for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) people. This has led to fertility tourism (going to another country for ART treatment) and challenges around access to ARTs and to parenthood status for LGBTQ people.This study therefore investigates the possibility of more unified European guidelines regarding ARTs which would be more inclusive of LGBTQ people. The study focussed on six European countries: Austria, Estonia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
The main research questions were: How is the access to ARTs for LGBTQ persons regulated in these six countries? What are the experiences of queer and transgender people (in each country) with ARTs? What could be improved to provide better access to and treatment with ART for queer and transgender people?
The overall objective of this project is the production of guidelines for a more inclusive common European framework for ARTs. This framework is important for society to avoid the continuing discrimination regarding queer and transgender reproduction.

Objectives in detail:

1) Developing a common inclusive European framework for ARTs, based on reported queer and transgender experiences and views – including (equal and just) access to and treatment with ARTs.
2) A comparative analysis of diverse sets of ARTS regulations and of LGBTQI rights in 6 EU-states: Austria, Estonia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK.
3) Providing original, empirical data on queer and transgender people’s use, experiences of and access to ART in these 6 European countries. This constitutes an archive of queer and transgender people’s use/experiences of ART.
4) Constructing briefing notes to policy makers on inclusive ART regulation (EU- and national governmental institutions and medical associations).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

"Ethical Approvals:
Ethical approvals by EC (Ref. Ares(2016)699023-15/12/2016, final ethics check on 5/6/2019) and the corresponding Swedish ethical approval by the Regional Ethics Committee in Uppsala (Regionala Etikprövningsnämnden Uppsala) Nr. 2017/434 and by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu (UT REC) 280/T-2 have been obtained.

Fieldwork:
The online-surveys (English, Spanish, Polish) were active, and interviews and focus group were held, between June 2018-April 2019. Translations, transcriptions and analysis of the data were completed in July 2019.

Project Communication:
Website, blog and facebook group about the project are online:
http://www.gender.uu.se/forskning/qtreproart/
https://blogg.uu.se/web/qtreproart#__utma=1.1288997335.1511352477.1511515787.1511770395.4&__utmb=1.30.10.1515751804&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1511425738.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=159276346&__utma=1.1288997335.1511352477.1511515787.1511770395.4&__utmb=1.188.10.1516796791&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1511425738.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=93630749
https://www.facebook.com/pg/QTreproART/posts/?ref=page_internal

Training
Training on communication with actors outside academia: ”Critical Thinking for Public Discourse” was completed at Univ. of Amsterdam, in Nov 2017; ”Media Training” Uppsala University, Jan 2018; ""Standing Up for Science"" (research communication, policy makers, etc.) KoWi Brussels, March 2018; ""Joint Seminar on Qualitative Methods"" Dep. of Sociology, Univ. Ghent, Oct. 2018; ""To lead and develop in academia"" Uppsala University, Sept. 2018- Jan.2019.

Overview of Results:
Main Results: 10 Key Recommendations:
1. Equalize ART laws across EU member states.
2. Remove the sterilization or body modification requirement for trans and intersex people.
3. Allow storage and use of one’s own gametes in each country.
4. Equalization of obtaining parenthood and access to citizenship of all citizens in the EU.
5. Harmonize ART-, parenthood- and citizenship-laws across Europe and guarantee EU-wide LGBTIQ family rights.
6. Accurate information & knowledgeable communication.
7. LGBTIQ-feminist training for staff to avoid bi- and homo-, trans and inter-phobic micro aggressions.
8. Shorten waiting times.
9. Fertility tests free for all.
10. Access to ART on public healthcare.
+ further 12 recommendations (posted on https://www.gender.uu.se/forskning/qtreproart/output/)

Exploitation of results in form of publications (5 articles, 1 special issue, 1 edited book, 2 book chapters) presentations (10 talks), interview for popular science journal (1), organizations of international workshops and symposium (3), briefing notes and policy recommendations.
Details of the outputs can be found on the project’s website: https://www.gender.uu.se/forskning/qtreproart/output/.
"

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

"Results are firstly, that I developed up a transgender and queer inclusive common European framework for ARTs. Second, I tested the framework through feedback loops with LGBTQI organisations in each country involved in this study and international ones such as ILGA or TGEU. Such feedback loops also take place during the international symposium ‘States of Parenthood: Race and Nation in Contemporary Queer and Trans Reproduction’, which I co-organized, during presentations at LGBTQI community meetings (e.g. at the RFSL Uppsala), and with feedback through e-mailing.
The predictable benefit for society is establishing a common inclusive EU-framework for ART policies so that in future the access and use of ART may be improved and fair for all people all over Europe. Discrimination in reproductive issues on the ground of gender, sex and sexuality should be abolished or at least diminished. The socio-economic impact will be that more children from queer and trans parents will be born and will contribute with their tax payments to the economic well-being of society. Publicly paid ART treatment pays off through the net tax revenue from an ART conceived child.
EU citizens, including the LGBTQI communities, have benefited from my research through a) user involvement from an early stage, b) the use of a variety of online platforms to disseminate findings, eg. E-mail information services (question & answer), with answer possibilities, and other chat-platforms (Facebook, Twitter etc.); c) the dissemination of my work through public outreach activities during talks and the distribution of leaflets during the Euro Pride 2019 in Vienna. Further mass media dissemination for an even larger audience include: press releases for newspapers and magazines, radio and TV were done with UU’s Dissemination Unit; an interview with a medical reporter from the newspaper ""New Scientist"" was given during the ESHRE, June 2019, in Vienna; targeted briefing notes were sent to (EU and national) policy makers and ART-clinics and professionals.


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Cells in embryo stage - ART (with Trans Filter - Transgender Flag)

Cells in embryo stage - ART (with Rainbow Filter - LGBT Flag)