Alabama ruling that embryos are "children"

[Samsond]

Anyone else really scared about the direction the US is going with these rulings? Alabama has already ruled against abortion for any reason whatsoever. Now all IVF in the state has had to be halted as a court has ruled that embryos are "children". I just can't understand what's going to happen there. It feels they're getting more and more like a religious fundamentalist state. Are they heading the way of somewhere like Iran? It's insane.

Hmm in what context are they banning ivf because the embryos are children? Is it because they're saying you shouldn't keep them in freezers indefinitely?

If embryos are children wouldn't you think they would want to bring them to fruition? But I guess logic isn't driving force with these people

It’s essentially the unintended consequence of a wrongful death lawsuit which was brought by several couples who were themselves undergoing IVF whose embryos were accidentally destroyed prior to implantation. They wanted compensation from the hospital and went the wrongful death route. It was successful but as a result means that hospitals who damage or destroy embryos during IVF procedures (as is pretty much part of the process) can be prosecuted or sued. Thus no appetite to carry out IVF in Alabama.

My friend is considering moving back to the UK for these sorts of reasons. She's convinced they'll go after birth control next and then they'll have forced her hand and she'll have to come back.

Ah I see how that's come about then

Maybe you are allowed to implant “already made” embryos? And just not make more?

Otherwise - it seems pretty poor parenting to just dump your “children” in the freezer!

Alabama. Quelle surprise

It’s one hospital which has halted its IVF programme atm but the ruling is based around the handling and destruction of embrio’s.
Alabama hospital pauses IVF after court rules frozen embryos are children www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68366337 Link here

"Curiosity101 · Today 07:44

My friend is considering moving back to the UK for these sorts of reasons. She's convinced they'll go after birth control next and then they'll have forced her hand and she'll have to come back"

Surely this can't happen?

That’s ridiculous. Embryos cannot be stored forever, and not everyone wants to use all of their embryos or wants to give them to someone else to use, so inevitably some must be donated to science or allowed to perish. Then there are those which have been tested and found to be carriers of genetic conditions etc. They won’t all work anyway, so many embryos actually have no prospect of ever becoming a person. I’m not surprised some clinics are saying they won’t create more embryos until they know the scope of this legal change.

Be careful of "surely this can't happen". All sorts of things happen if we don't speak up.

Remember that it's only very recently (historically dpraking) that the pill has been available without a husband's consent.

Isn’t there already a recommendation for women not to use period tracking apps? And a complication with obtaining the pill under some insurances?

I think the not using a period tracking app recommendation is because if a cycle is notably longer than usual it might show that for example the morning after pill has been used. Not because they are against birth control. I could be wrong though?

It’s one hospital which has halted its IVF programme atm but the ruling is based around the handling and destruction of embrio’s.

What are they going to do with the existing ones then? Hand them back?

This just smacks of one entitled couple ruining a good things for everyone else.

It's bonkers because then who is to blame. So if a couple do a round of IVF create some embryos and then have a successful pregnancy and don't want another and stop paying for storage then who is "killing" here? The clinic? The parents? Are they put up for adoption?

Honestly the US has gone quite mad and will tie itself in knots for years on this stuff. And ultimately only a few people really care, most of the rest of them just want to get on with lives

I think it's that you couldn't produce multiple embryos, then implant the most viable. They would want every embryo created to be implemented, which wouldn't be safe for the mother, as she may end up carrying large number's of multiples, or have to go through many more egg harvesting procedures, if only one embryo could be produced each time, which then may no even make it to the implant stage.

Frozen embryos are also not currently kept indefinitely, many are eventually destroyed if no longer needed. So what would happen if the couple didn't want/ couldn't care for another child, the mothers could no longer safely carry a pregnancy or where the mother dies, leaving frozen embryos behind. Under these laws, if the clinic disposed of them, they would be 'murdering children'.

@Scarletttulips It's how very conservative politics works. They use a case that's more widely sympathetic (ie medical negligence in IVF) to affect broader reproductive rights.

Will they ban masturbation next. Every soerm is sacred and obviously could be life!!!!

Does that mean menstruation = manslaughter?

Nah just the women who need to suffer, blokes can bang them out however they like!

I suppose if a woman proved she tried everything to get pregnant then it would be ok. Men wanking though "hard no" surely

Holy cow, legally blonde has come to life!

No pun intended :)

Did you sleep through The Handmaid's Tale?

Yes, it can happen.

They’ll definitely be after birth control next.