Alabama Ruling Upends IVF Future For Cancer Patients, Medical Providers
News outlets report on the continuing health and political fallout from the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling on the personhood of frozen embryos. Doctors say it's the safest IVF method for mothers and babies, and the only option for cancer patients. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans react to the decision that could have electoral impact.
NBC News:
Doctors Warn Freezing Embryos Is Essential After Alabama Ruling With IVF Consequences
After Alabama’s state Supreme Court ruling on IVF, doctors are warning that women using in vitro fertilization and their babies could face major health risks — and young cancer patients could lose the chance to build a future family — if fertility clinics stop using frozen embryos. “That is a possible reality,” said Dr. Irene Dimitriadis, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at the Mass General Fertility Center in Boston. “It hurts me to think of it because that means we’re kind of going backwards in medicine.” (Dunn, 2/24)
The Washington Post:
Cancer Patients Express Worry, Devastation About Alabama IVF Ruling
A cancer diagnosis often comes with a host of difficult decisions, including what to do about the impact of treatment on a person’s fertility. Many individuals grappling with this dual burden turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a way to preserve their reproductive options. That’s why cancer patients and oncologists are expressing shock and anxiety about the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos are considered children under the law. (Malhi, 2/25)
The Hill:
White House Accuses Republicans Of ‘Attempting To Erase Their Own Records On IVF’
The White House on Monday put the spotlight on House Republicans’ support for legislation that says life begins at conception even as many of them have rushed to defend in vitro fertilization following a controversial Alabama court ruling. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a memo shared with The Hill, pointed to GOP support for the Life at Conception Act, which she described as “an extreme, dangerous bill that would eliminate reproductive freedom for all women in every state.” (Samuels, 2/26)
The Washington Post:
125 Republicans Have Backed Antiabortion Bill Without IVF Exception
Prominent congressional Republicans are coming out in support of in vitro fertilization days after the Alabama state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are people and therefore that someone can be held liable for destroying them. But many of the same Republicans who are saying Americans should have access to IVF have co-sponsored legislation that employs an argument similar to the one the Alabama Supreme Court used in its ruling. The congressional proposal, known as the Life at Conception Act, defines a “human being” to “include each member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization or cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.” The bill would also provide equal protection under the 14th Amendment “for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.” (Alfaro, 2/25)
The Washington Post:
Alabama Justice Who Quoted Bible In IVF Case Often Invokes Religion
In the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that said frozen embryos are people, Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote a concurring opinion that sought to define the “sanctity of unborn life,” citing heavily from scripture and theology. His opinion, which drew criticism from abortion rights activists for instilling religious beliefs into a judicial decision, was the latest in nearly 20 years on the bench in which he has repeatedly invoked religion on his way to laying the groundwork to overturn Roe v. Wade. Parker has also openly criticized other judges for not sufficiently considering religion in their rulings and has expressed support for the theory known as the Seven Mountain Mandate, which calls for conservative Christians to run the government and broadly influence American life. (Rosenzweig-Ziff, 2/24)
KFF Health News:
If You’re Poor, Fertility Treatment Can Be Out Of Reach
Mary Delgado’s first pregnancy went according to plan, but when she tried to get pregnant again seven years later, nothing happened. After 10 months, Delgado, now 34, and her partner, Joaquin Rodriguez, went to see an OB-GYN. Tests showed she had endometriosis, which was interfering with conception. Delgado’s only option, the doctor said, was in vitro fertilization. “When she told me that, she broke me inside,” Delgado said, “because I knew it was so expensive.” (Andrews, 2/26)
In abortion news —
USA Today:
Nebraska Lawmaker Wants 12-Week Abortion Ban Amended For Exceptions
A Nebraska state lawmaker who supported banning abortions after 12 weeks has now introduced legislation that provides exceptions and repeals criminal penalties. Republican Sen. Merv Riepe’s bill would allow for abortions up to 20 weeks in cases of fatal anomalies with the confirmation by at least two physicians that a pre-born child is incompatible with life outside the womb and would die upon birth or inevitably after that. (Marchel Hoff, 2/23)
Politico:
Gavin Newsom Launches Red-State Abortion Ads Over ‘War On Travel’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday broadened his incursion into red America, unveiling the first in a series of TV ads that accuses conservative officials of holding women hostage by imposing restrictions on their travel for reproductive care. Newsom’s new ad, which debuted Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” will air in Tennessee, where a state representative is trying to outlaw transporting a minor for an abortion. Under the Tennessee proposal, adults who engage in “ abortion trafficking” — helping pregnant minors get the procedure out-of-state without parental permission — could be charged with a felony that carries up to 15 years in prison. (Cadelago, 2/25)
