Why many IVF patients worry about the antiabortion movement

Published by The Washington Post. Read the full article.

“Yes, but … .” That’s because, although my husband and I have two young children, we also have six potential babies. The latter are embryos created years ago through in vitro fertilization and now frozen in liquid nitrogen in a Maryland lab.

While I mostly feel like our family is complete, I haven’t been able to bring myself to decide what to do with those frozen bundles of our DNA. The decision has become even more fraught since last year when the Supreme Court stripped away the federal right to an abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It’s unclear how Dobbs could affect autonomy over the estimated 1.5 million frozen embryos nationwide, but it’s a worry.

“What happens in three to four years when [lawmakers have] done what they can to restrict abortion. Where do they go next? The rights of embryos, IVF” and genetic testing, says Barbara Collura, president and chief executive of Resolve: The National Infertility Association.

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