The dream of bearing a child is even more distant for many Alabama women. This uncertainty comes after a ruling that could potentially make IVF illegal. In vitro Fertilization is a procedure used by many with fertility issues to become parents. In her book Becoming, Michelle Obama details her IVF journeys that eventually led to her conception of both Sasha and Malia. She is far from alone. 4 out of 10 adults have used fertility treatments to conceive or know of someone who has. For many, it can be the only way to bear children. But many women in Alabama undergoing the process for IVF treatment have been forced to abruptly halt their journies as clinics find themselves in murky legal territory.
Under the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that embryos are children, clinics and their staff could be vulnerable to civil and criminal liability. With IVF, a woman’s egg is fertilized outside of her body and then frozen until she is ready to have it transferred to her uterus. During the transfer, there is a slight chance that embryos may be damaged or destroyed in the thawing process. Even fresh embryos might be damaged and not able to be transferred. This damage or destruction can lead the IVF specialists to be charged with the wrongful death of a child. This could also mean that unused embryos might be required to be frozen in perpetuity.
Because of this ruling and the uncertainty of the legal ramifications of such typical complications, clinics have canceled their patient’s appointments with no rescheduling date in sight. IVF is emotionally and physically taxing, and a single cycle can cost up to $30k. Most couples undergo 2 to 3 cycles before conception takes place. Women who have already purchased and injected expensive drugs to stimulate egg production are unable to have them retrieved.
For many Alabama women, this ruling has turned their dreams of having children into a legal and emotional nightmare. The uncertainty around IVF treatments has left them in limbo, facing immense stress and financial burdens. The Alabama Supreme Court’s decision could have major ripple effects as other states may decide to follow suit.
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AL. Women Heartbroken