The future of IVF
I have been working with fellow lawmakers to expand services for veterans. The proposed Veteran Families Health Services Act will cover treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility counseling — both while they are serving, and after they leave their military service.
Just as we began to make progress righting this wrong for the veterans seeking to grow their families — the extremists in the GOP launched their attack on another pillar of reproductive freedom: IVF treatments.
A recent legal decision from the Alabama Supreme Court in the issue of LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine has raised grave concerns about the future of IVF, a cornerstone of fertility treatment. This ruling reclassifies embryos as children and poses a significant threat to the viability of IVF.
Here are the facts:fertility treatments like IVF are on the rise, and have helped countless parents grow their families:
- In 2023 42% of Americans say they have used fertility treatments or personally know someone who has — a 33% increase since 2018. (Source: Pew Research)
- 1 million babies have been born in the United States between 1987 and 2015 through the use of IVF. (Source: Penn Medicine)
- Between 1-2% percent of all U.S. births annually are thanks to IVF. (Source: Penn Medicine)
We cannot allow conservative extremists to continue undermining reproductive freedom. The time has come to demand decisive action. I implore my colleagues in Congress to enact legislation that unequivocally safeguards access to IVF treatments.
More soon,
Rick