Dear John,

The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that classifies frozen embryos as “unborn children” not only threatens IVF, but also poses a grave threat to birth control access. 

As contributing editor Carrie Baker points out in Ms. this week, the ruling relies on medical misinformation that is at the core of the anti-abortion movement. The anti-abortion movement has long argued that some forms of contraception including emergency contraception function by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine wall—despite the fact that this is not true. This view opens the door to banning many forms of contraception, including hormonal birth control pills, rings, patches and injections as well as IUDs and emergency contraception.

“If a fertilized egg is a person, then you run into all sorts of risks in terms of birth control,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth, who had both of her children using IVF.

In the wake of the ruling, Republicans have fallen all over each other as they distance themselves from the wildly unpopular Alabama decision. But their actions betray their true views. In a Wednesday vote, Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked a bill that would have protected access to IVF. And many of the Republicans who have decried the Alabama bill have also supported legislation that would state personhood begins at fertilization, including current House Speaker Mike Johnson. 

The federal “Life at Conception Act,” introduced last January by Republican Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia, would set the legal definition of “human being” to include “all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.” The House version of the bill does not include a carveout for IVF. In an election year, with a majority of voters favoring reproductive rights, Republicans are scrambling: David Schweikert of Arizona—who also expressed support for IVF in the wake of the Alabama ruling—had previously removed himself as a cosponsor of the bill, facing a tough reelection campaign. 

Ultimately, the ruling represents a threat to democracy itself. “We’re watching before our eyes a clear erosion of church and state,” write Reshma Saujani and Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush in Ms. this week. “By imposing their own religious beliefs on all Alabamans, the judges have violated our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

All this is happening on the eve of Women’s History Month. But here at Ms., we think every month is women’s history month—and what better way to honor and explore women’s history than sitting down with 50 Years of Ms.: a stunning collection filled with the best of the magazine’s features and award-winning fiction and poetry, spanning five decades. As it proudly features some of the most revolutionary writers and thinkers of the past half century, the book is as much a reflection on the era as it is a road map for the path forward. 

We’ll be featuring some of the book’s most iconic stories from our archives throughout the month—be sure to check MsMagazine.com and follow us on Instagram for the latest updates!

Onward,

Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor

Listen to United Bodies—a new podcast about the lived experience of health, from Ms. Studios, on Apple Podcasts + Spotify. 

Moving your body, in any way you can, can be a liberating experience—to feel your power, your strength, your security and resiliency through a step forward, a dance, a roll or stroll through nature. This week, we explore how two efforts centered around movement are leading to transformative liberation for those involved, starting with Morgan Dixon and GirlTrek and following with AJ Williams, a documentarian working on a film about accessible recreation.
 

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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