Fertility: apps, coaches and "boosters", the discreet business that is taking hold in France

In couples' conversations, a new reflex is taking hold: pulling out the phone before even setting foot in a doctor's office. Cycle tracking apps, ovulation tests, connected devices, nutritional programs, gels marketed as a little boost… The private fertility market is booming in France, driven by an army of startups, coaches, and dietary supplement brands. The ground is fertile, literally: birth rates are declining, pregnancies are happening later, the wait is getting longer, and with it, anxiety that seeps into everything, even the morning notifications.

Faced with appointment delays, the complexity of assisted reproductive technology (ART) pathways, and the diagnostic odyssey surrounding endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), these providers offer a simple promise: personalized care, right away. Social media does the rest, with surgically targeted advertising focused on the desire for pregnancy, as if the intimate has become a standard marketing category. We are thus witnessing the emergence of a "digitalization of the parental project" where every phase, every symptom, every doubt can be transformed into a service, subscription, or program.

When waiting becomes a commodity, caution must follow.

When waiting becomes a commodity, caution is essential. The problem lies in the gray area. Some products claim effects that are difficult to establish, while others hide behind wellness claims, all while charging high prices. So-called "fertility booster" supplements exemplify this ambiguity: variable evidence, promises sometimes cloaked in science, and results rarely guaranteed. The line between lifestyle advice and medical care becomes blurred, and it's easy to see why: when a couple is looking for guidance, they may be tempted to buy an answer, however fragile, rather than wait months.

Health authorities, however, reiterate a clear guideline: consult a doctor if pregnancy does not occur after 12 months of trying, or after 6 months for women over 35. The DGCCRF (French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) monitors commercial practices and claims, ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) warns of risks associated with certain substances, overdoses, or interactions, and the CNIL (French Data Protection Authority) cautions against the collection of health data by apps, as this highly personal information can be used for unwanted purposes. As this market takes hold, a dividing line is emerging: that between reassuring support and commercial exploitation of impatience, with a growing concern surrounding the protection of bodies and data.