How Will Alabama's Supreme Court Ruling Impact IVF Treatments?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The future of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments is uncertain following a ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court.
For Context: Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos used for IVF treatments are legally recognized as children. This follows the state’s 2018 constitutional amendment to include personhood rights for fetuses.
From the Left: A writer for Vox (Left bias) navigated the implications of the ruling, determining that the “right to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization will be the next to fall.” The article addressed concerns from some healthcare providers, who explained that “the destruction of at least some embryos is a normal part of IVF” and the court’s ruling could drastically increase the cost of IVF treatment since “medical facilities may have to pay outlandish costs to store frozen embryos long after it is clear that no one will ever use them.”
From the Right: A writer in the Daily Signal (Right bias) outlined the court case that led to the decision and affirmed the ruling, arguing that it “rightly places the well-being of children front and center in how clinics practice in vitro fertilization and embryo cryopreservation” and “recognizes that each child is created in the image of God and therefore deserves the full force of the law’s protections.” The writer expressed hope that other states will issue rulings similar to the Alabama decision, concluding, “Alabama has taken the first step toward extending personhood to all human beings, no matter how small.” This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
The Alabama Supreme Court opinion holding that embryos are children, explained
The moment the US Supreme Court released its decision overruling Roe v. Wade, pretty much everyone who closely follows constitutional law wondered which rights would be next on the chopping block. Justice Clarence Thomas stoked these fears with a concurring opinion calling for the Court to “reconsider” the rights to contraception, marriage for same-sex couples, and the right to choose who you have sex with (and whether those sexual partners share your gender). Justice Brett Kavanaugh, meanwhile, published his own concurrence claiming many of these rights were safe.
In Alabama,...
From the Center
Reproductive policy fights renew the focus on IVF
An Alabama Supreme Court decision legally recognizing frozen embryos as children has reignited concerns and confusion about the future of fertility treatments including in vitro fertilization, with both sides recognizing the broader impact of the case.
The court on Friday ruled that frozen embryos — which are used in IVF — are considered unborn children. Alabama voters amended their state constitution in 2018 to give personhood rights to fetuses, and the court decision clarified that that language extends to frozen embryos.
The ruling could have an impact well beyond abortion....
From the Right
Alabama Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Embryonic Human Life
In a landmark decision, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled Friday in favor of protecting embryonic human life from wrongful death.
Embryos are created routinely through in vitro fertilization, a process by which ova are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory rather than in a woman’s body.
The process of creating and cryopreserving embryos can be dangerous for embryonic children, who often are destroyed intentionally or through neglect.
In the case heard by the Alabama Supreme Court, three sets of parents suffered an unimaginable loss: the death of their embryonic children...
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