Alabama elected officials adopted laws on Thursday, February 29, aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF), around ten days after the Supreme Court of this southern US state said it would consider embryos preserved by freezing like “children”.
The local House of Representatives approved legislation granting
“civil and criminal immunity for death or damage to an embryo to any person or entity when providing or receiving goods or services related to infertilization vitro”
.
The Senate adopted a similar text, guaranteeing immunity to people providing
“goods and services related to in vitro fertilization in certain circumstances”
.
The decision of the Alabama Supreme Court created astonishment.
As a direct consequence, several clinics specializing in medically assisted procreation (MAP) in this conservative state have announced that they are suspending their in vitro fertilization activities.
Democratic President Joe Biden called the decision
“scandalous”
while his Republican rival Donald Trump said he
“strongly supports access to IVF for couples trying to have a precious baby”
.