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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting section (baby, pregnancy, family)
At the initiative of the Bamp! collective, the infertility awareness week joins this year with the European (in)fertility Week supported by Fertility Europe of which the association is a member. In the program ? Meetings, debates, workshops to give time and space to the subjects of infertility, medically assisted procreation, gamete donation, environmental health and its impact on fertility.
What is Infertility Awareness Week (November 3 to 12, 2023)? Meetings, debates, workshops to give time and space to the subjects of infertility, medically assisted procreation, gamete donation, environmental health and its impact on fertility. Information, awareness, support. Cross-exchanges between patients, AMP professionals, researchers united around these public health subjects.
“We have decided to organize our Infertility Awareness Week at the same time as the European (in)fertility Week supported by Fertility Europe of which our association is a member. This is an opportunity to show, on a French and European scale, the importance and urgency of collective and political action on our subjects. It is high time to think and act differently when it comes to these public health topics. Fertility Europe will focus this year on psychological support for patients in ART” can we read in the press release from the Bamp collective!
NO to diets, YES to WW!
For a modern and quality MPA for all
The association wanted to highlight during this 9th edition of Infertility Awareness Week the actions of associations for women’s health and raising awareness among younger generations about fertility. An important focus on the need to better understand the causes of infertility, to better manage them, will thus be highlighted. Social issues will also be addressed, for example, after the vote on the bioethics law: where are we, two years later? Opening of new rights for women, but on the ground how do things work in reality? Access to ART for all, to self-preservation of oocytes, what treatment times for all? What is the outcome from the point of view of patients and professionals? What are the innovations in terms of diagnosis and therapeutics? Can we still do AMP like in the 20th century? So many questions that the professionals who will be present for all these couples waiting for a baby will try to answer.
The volunteers of the association and the partners of Bamp! will offer throughout the week, on video and in person in Guadeloupe, Paris and the regions:
- Discussion groups between patients
- Video capsules with informative messages
- Face-to-face and video round tables on different subjects with AMP or research professionals and/or associative partners
- Specific workshops
- Classical and Caribbean Music Gala in Guadeloupe
- Association and partner stands on November 4 in Paris
- Film debates
- Exhibition November 4 at Césure: “The void does not exist” by Maurine TRIC, photographer
- One woman show with Irina GUEORGUIEV for her play “Life is not a Fairy Tale”
- One Man show with François TOUCHARD for “What are you going to call it? »
- Dedication to Césure “La Chambre Bleue” by Sylvain DEMANGE published by HEMERIA, round table and book signings on November 4
- Broadcast of the podcast “10 years of BAMP and you? »
- Presentation of information and support actions: We want to be Parents, Fertility Support and Info-Fertility
- A festive and supportive evening on November 4 as part of our partnership with PLATEAU URBAIN
3 questions to Virginie Rio, founder of the Bamp! collective.
1. What are the objectives of this 9th infertility awareness week?
The objectives of the 9th Infertility Awareness Week are to give time and space to the subjects that the association has been addressing for 10 years. For a little over a week, volunteers, professionals, certain ART centers and our partners are mobilizing to offer actions, awareness-raising information and support on fertility, infertility, ART and donation. gametes, environmental health and its impact on fertility. We want society and political decision-makers to become aware of the issue of fertility in terms of public health and environmental health. We are mobilizing for prevention and information for young and old generations. We use different informative tools (video or face-to-face conferences, visuals, video “the baby project of Yémouna and Doudouchou” for example) on various subjects. Discussion groups to also provide sharing and support between pairs on different subjects.
2. What are the priority actions (collective and political) to put in place?
All actions carried out during the ISS are important. We are also part of the European Week which this year focuses on psychological support for infertile people in ART. This European dimension is important for us. An action is planned in the European Parliament on November 7. We are also asking our parliamentarians and ministries concerned (with no feedback from them to date). But if some can at least read the program, seeing the commitment of the speakers who from Guadeloupe to New Caledonia via different cities in mainland France are committed to the SSI BAMP 2023 is already good.
We welcome the mobilization of experts, certain ART centers, partner associations, and companies so that this Infertility Awareness Week can exist. We are proud of the partnership initiated at the beginning of 2023 with the professional association FERTI971. It is also in Guadeloupe that the SSI opens with a charity gala on November 3. With Caribbean artists. Several conferences to raise awareness of Infertility in Guadeloupe and videos from Yémouna and Doudouchou. There is important information and support work to be done in Guadeloupe. And we hope that these actions trigger social and political awareness to improve the health of women and men. This project is also part of the INFO FERTILITY project that we have been carrying out since 2020 with the Society of Reproductive Medicine. During SSI BAMP 2023, we will launch the Fertility Info site, notably on November 4 for a whole day in Paris with 2 photo exhibitions, 1 One Man SHOW and conferences all day long. It is also the launch of the book LA CHAMBRE BLEUE, a photo book, testimonials, experts which is being released for the 10th anniversary of our association.
During this SSI, we are also launching a general public awareness campaign entitled #NousvoulonsEtreParents
In Montpellier Awareness Day in partnership with the AMP Saint Roch center and theater at the Faculty of Medicine with the show “Life is not a fairy tale”. In Lyon evening with Professor SALLE’s team on the preservation of fertility.
For me all actions are important, because they also support infertile people, seeing that all these subjects are being talked about in the media, being listened to, informed is very important.
3. You ask the question of a modern MPA, what would its contours be?
First of all, everything must be done to prevent as many people as possible from finding themselves forced to enter an MPA to have children. So 3 essential elements: prevention, environmental health, sexual and reproductive health education. Then, ensure that the legal framework is respected. And this is not yet the case because for various reasons people cannot access care. In particular on exclusion criteria based on age put in place by certain centers. Implement actions to respond to the recommendations of the report on the causes of infertility. Research developments, transforming validated PHRC (Hospital Clinical Research Program) into treatment recommendations. Improve diagnostics to avoid medical wanderings and very long periods in AMP. Authorize tools allowing these diagnoses (genetics, dpia, immunology). This requires more resources for research and clinical care.
To find out more, visit the website of the Bamp collective!