ASRM provides testimony to Senate Judiciary Committee on threats facing IVF
For Immediate Release
Washington, DC – In testimony delivered today to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) shared with the Committee the dangers to reproductive medicine nearly two years after the Dobbs decision.
In its statement, ASRM said:
“The Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion in LePage undermines critical reproductive health care. Treating frozen embryos as legal persons restricts access to IVF and undermines the rights of people in this country to make decisions about family building, including what to do with frozen embryos created via IVF. Treating embryos as legal children has many serious practical implications for patients and providers. It means that patients could face significantly increased costs and additional unnecessary or risky procedures. For providers, this legal standard could be leveraged to force them to perform embryo transfers where the embryos have a low probability of implanting or leading to a live birth. Patients would then have to suffer the physical and emotional anguish of facing a pregnancy that would never lead to a living child. ASRM’s concern is that the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling could lead to other states following suit, meaning that fewer people will be able to access the full range of care they want and need, including if, when, and how to have children.”
“We thank Chairman Durbin (D-IL) for shining a light on the ways in which judicial decisions are undermining reproductive health care, particularly in the wake of the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision that threatens access to fertility treatments,” said Sarah Bogdan, ASRM’s Director of Government Affairs. “This hearing couldn’t come at a more critical moment. All around us, access to reproductive medical services is coming under attack. But Congress can help. Hopeful parents across the nation need the Senate and House to pass legislation ensuring fertility treatment remains available and accessible to those who need it, regardless of their zip code. Today’s hearing is an important step, and we thank the Chairman and the Committee for their attention to this topic.”
ASRM testimony also included first-hand accounts from several ASRM members in Alabama.
Read the full testimony
For almost a century, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has been the global leader in multidisciplinary reproductive medicine research, ethical practice, and education. ASRM impacts reproductive care and science worldwide by creating funding opportunities for advancing reproduction research and discovery, by providing evidence-based education and public health information, and by advocating for reproductive health care professionals and the patients they serve. With members in more than 100 countries, the Society is headquartered in Washington, DC, with additional operations in Birmingham, AL. www.asrm.org
For media inquiries regarding this press release contact:
Sean Tipton
ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer
E: stipton@asrm.org
Anna Hovey
Advocacy Engagement Specialist
E: ahovey@asrm.org
J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs
726 7th St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
Tel: (202) 863-2494
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