In 2021, more than 97,000 infants were born in the U.S. using assisted reproductive technology, which includes IVF. Globally, IVF results in more than 500,000 deliveries annually.
On Feb. 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are “unborn children” and admonished IVF treatment in turn. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the right granted to personal liberty and abortion. Its ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson, held that the Fourteenth Amendment does not encompass an individual’s right to abortion. These two significant issues have affected women’s ability to reproduce on their own terms.
The reproductive decisions of women are vital in driving economies internationally. Women should have a choice in controlling their reproductive lives. Childbirth has an economic impact on a woman and is more problematic when facing infertility. Many women need help from either ART (assisted reproductive technology) or IVF (In vitro fertilization).
A woman’s ability to reproduce is sometimes beyond her control. Factors like age or other conditions can negatively affect fertility. The Alabama Supreme Court likely would have made a different decision if SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) had not overturned Roe v. Wade.
It had a ripple effect on women’s ability to control their reproductive lives.
I cannot fathom that Roe v. Wade was overturned. I battled infertility when I was ready to become a mother. I am fortunate to have two children via IVF. IVF can be financially, physically, and emotionally challenging. I never want any woman who is about to endure fertility treatment to feel robbed of that choice. We need to advocate for women to have control over choosing when to have babies and what they want to do once they have conceived.
Tia Clay, South Jordan
