Access To In-vitro Fertilisation For Same-sex Couples
In 2009 the governing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party passed a very controversial law restricting access to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) solely to married couples and heterosexual couples who could prove that they had been cohabitating for at least three years. HDZ initially attempted to pass the law restricting access to IVF solely to married couples, but due to strong public pressure HDZ amended the proposed law to allow access to IVF for non-married heterosexual couples as well. The Catholic Church actively supported first proposal of this law, advocating that access to IVF should only be granted to married couples. HDZ has declared themselves as a Christian democratic party and then Minister of Health and Social Welfare Darko Milinović indicated that the government took the Church's position on the issue seriously.
In December 2011 the newly elected Kukuriku coalition government announced that modernisation of IVF law would be one of its first priorities. Proposed changes to the law would allow single women access to IVF as well as other changes concerning freezing embryos and the fertilization of eggs. The Catholic Church immediately opposed to these changes, stating that they were not involved in discussion as much as they should have been. The Church began a petition against the law, but Minister of Health Rajko Ostojić said that the law is going into procedure, and that there will be no compromise. When asked about his attitude on lesbian couples having access to IVF Ostojić said: "Gay is OK!"
On 13 July 2012 new law came into force with 88 MPs voting for, 45 voting against, and 2 abstaining. HNS MPs who are also members of the ruling coalition wanted for lesbian couples to be included in this law as well, and have expressed disappointment for their amendment not being accepted, but it has been explained that this law deals with infertility only, and that issues concerning LGBT parenting will be included in future laws, expected to come into force by the end of 2012.
Read more about this topic: LGBT Rights In Croatia
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