Medically assisted procreation (MAPL) came into force on 1 January 2001, governing assisted procreation procedures such as in-vitro fertilisation and donor insemination.
Centres practising
IVF in Switzerland must be approved by the regional authorities and must comply with MAPL and ensure that this legislation is applied.
As regards the practice of in-vitro fertilisation, the law stipulates that not more than three embryos may be cultivated. Impregnated ovules (
zygotes) can be frozen for a period of 5 years. After this time, the couple must decide on the fate of the frozen zygotes, which can either be donated for research or destroyed.
Medically assisted procreation legislation (MAPL) prevents :
- The freezing of embryos
- Ovule donation
- Embryo donation
- Pre-implantation diagnosis
- Surrogate mothers
- Cloning and procedures for the creation of human embryos for the sole purpose of research.
Should you require further information, the text of this legislation is available from the OCFIM, 3003 Berne.
