World News | Spain Expands IVF to Lesbians, Single Women, Trans People

Madrid, Nov 5 (AP) Spain's health minister signed an order Friday granting single women, lesbians, bisexuals and trans people access to medically assisted reproduction in the public health system, where it is performed free of charge.

The measure had long been demanded by LGBT rights groups and is part of the Socialist-led government's drive for equality, which has also seen a record number of women appointed to the Cabinet.

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Fertility treatment is free in Spain, but six years ago the conservative Popular Party government in power at the time limited it to heterosexual women who have a partner, forcing others to pay for private treatment.

Many of Spain's regional governments refused to enforce that policy, however.

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Health Minister Carolina Dias signed the order at a ceremony attended by activists, saying the step aimed to put an end to discrimination in the public health system.

She said the day marked a “restitution of rights -- rights that never should have been denied.”

Uge Sangil, the president of Spain's federation of LGBTQ+ rights' groups, welcomed the change, saying the lives of thousands of people would be transformed.

“Let no one doubt that expanding reproductive rights is expanding human rights,” Sangil said at the ceremony. (AP) VM

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)