The Federal Office of Public Health is responsible for the legal work related to reproductive medicine
Regulation of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
On the 1st of September 2017 the revised Reproductive Medicine Act (RMA) and Reproductive Medicine Ordinance (RMO) have entered into force.
Background information
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a procedure for genetic testing of embryos. This must be done in the first days after fertilisation has taken place (outside of the female body in a medical laboratory using «in vitro fertilisation», IVF). The aim of PGD is to select embryos that do not inherit from their parents a genetic predisposition for certain serious diseases, or have particular inherent characteristics that would prevent a successful pregnancy.
In Switzerland, PGD has been banned from the time the Reproductive Medicine Act came into force in 2001 until the 31. of August 2017. In 2013, the Federal Council sent Parliament a draft for amendment of the constitutional provision on reproductive medicine and gene technology involving human beings (Article 119 BV) and for amendment of the Reproductive Medicine Act (FMedG, RMA). The amended RMA states that PGD is permissible under certain conditions. The amended article of the Constitution permits the conduct of PGD under appropriate circumstances.
On December 12th, 2014, Parliament completed consultation on the drafts. On June 14th 2015 the majority of the people and the cantons adopted the amendment of Art. 119 BV. On June 5th 2016 the majority of the people and the cantons adopted the amendments of the RMA as well.
On 5 June 2016, the amendments to the RMA were clearly adopted by the people and the cantons. The revision of the implementing provisions to the RMA, the Reproductive Medicine Ordinance (RMO) was undertaken and submitted to the interested parties for consultation.
On the 1st of September 2017 the revised Reproductive Medicine Act (RMA) and Reproductive Medicine Ordinance (RMO) have entered into force.
Last modification 16.01.2020
Contact
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Division of Biomedicine
Biosafety, Human Genetics and Reproductive Medicine Section
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
3003
Bern
Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 463 51 54