| Friend, A conservative justice in Alabama just engaged in an unprecedented new attack against bodily autonomy by ruling that frozen embryos used in the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process are children.(1) This ruling -- in which the justice invoked God as part of his legal reasoning -- has placed Alabamans looking to start or expand their families via IVF in horrifying legal limbo and has sent shockwaves across the country.(2) And it gets worse: Other states are following suit. Kentucky just introduced a bill requiring child support for fetuses, and 14 states are considering “fetal personhood” bills.(3,4) These are all part of the right’s decades-long strategy to eliminate all reproductive health access and fully restrict bodily autonomy across the country. While California isn't at risk of these kinds of bills right now, we are still a long way away from reproductive parity. We're helping to push for California Senate Bill 729, Provide Equitable Fertility Coverage, to require insurance coverage for infertility care, including IVF. And we need to stand up for the people across the nation who are at risk of losing access to IVF altogether. We're calling on Congress to pass legislation that unequivocally protects access to IVF treatments. Every American deserves the right to have a family, and IVF is a crucial part of this journey for many.
Every year, thousands of babies are conceived in the United States using IVF, with 33% of Americans saying they have themselves used fertility treatment or know someone who has.(5) Lawmakers in Alabama are scrambling to create legal exceptions for IVF while still preserving their draconian laws around abortion and reproductive health.(6) Meanwhile, this ruling is likely to make its way to the Supreme Court, with the potential for an outcome that could ban IVF nationwide. We know that any decision from the Supreme Court or Alabama lawmakers’ half-hearted attempts to have it both ways will not be enough for Alabamans hoping to expand their families, nor are they a model for the rest of the country. While fertility treatments are not currently under attack in California, the political turmoil around IVF has ramifications beyond Alabama and other states considering similar legislation. From skyrocketing costs to fewer providers and longer wait times to receive treatment, attacks on IVF nationwide could negatively impact fertility treatment for all Americans. Codifying federal protections for fertility treatment will take away a significant source of anxiety for families already facing the challenges of growing their families. It will also help turn the tide against the steady chipping away of bodily autonomy that Republicans have been pushing forward for decades. Yours in the fight for our health, –Irene, Annie, Angela, Isidra, Mario, Marvin, Alyssa, Jen, and Lindsay (the Courage team)
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