Though the procedure is popular among gay and straight couples who need help conceiving in the United States, Canada, and several other countries around the world, France has not treated it as favorably. The country has legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, but it's currently illegal for a gay couple, married or not, to use IVF to conceive children. Meanwhile, surrogacy is illegal for all French citizens. In response to this, some couples are having IVF performed in neighboring countries, such as Belgium, then returning to France and continuing the adoption process as normal. As many gay couples in France are now legally married, the non-biological parent expects to hold the same right to adopt their partner’s biological child as any other married person