Forty years ago, on July 12th, 1984, the first baby was born through assisted reproduction in Barcelona and in all of Spain.

At the time, the news of a couple seeking help to conceive at the Barcelona Dexeus private hospital made headlines everywhere. But a lot has happened since then: in 2006, assisted reproduction became available for free through the public health system throughout Spain. Later, in 2016, a change in the law also made it possible for single mothers and queer couples to avail of the service, and by 2023, thanks to the so-called Spanish “trans law,” trans people had also gained access.  

Today, the Spanish government estimates that around 10% of all babies born in Spain are the result of assisted reproduction, and that number is growing every year.

Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the system of assisted reproduction in Catalonia, how it has evolved over time, what the different types of treatment mean, and why it brings people from all over the world to Catalonia.

We will also talk to Anna Veiga, the pioneering Catalan doctor and biologist who led the first IVF birth in all of Spain, and Dr. Federica Moffa, the medical director of the private fertility clinic Fertilab, about reproductive tourism.

For the first time in the history of Filling the Sink, this episode will be the first of two dedicated to a single topic, so remember to stay tuned for the next episode, where we talk to four women about their experiences with assisted reproduction in Catalonia. 

This week’s Catalan phrase is “donar a llum”, which literally means “to give to light” and is the Catalan way of saying “to give birth.”

Get in touch with the podcast team: [email protected]