Brazil’s high court is guaranteeing homosexual couples right to access assisted fertilization.
In 2011 Brazil’s high court ruled in favor of civil unions for same-sex couples, and they have now taken the initiative in legislating the rights of gay couples to seek in vitro fertilization.
An earlier decree by the court, which laid out who was allowed to access assisted fertilization, was “vague” in its wording. This lead to some Brazilian courts being able to block same-sex couples from accessing medical assistance for issues concerning fertilization, including in vitro procedures.
The new measure, which was published late last week in the Brazilian government’s official gazette, states quite clearly that “such techniques must be permitted for both gay couples and single people.” Although there is some opposition to the new measure, the head of the Federal Medical Council said, “the new decree is in step with current social mores.”
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