Alabama’s Supreme Court Rules , Embryos Are ‘Extrauterine Children’.
The first-of-its-kind ruling
was made on Feb. 16.
It "could have widespread implications" for in vitro fertilization (IVF) practices, 'The Guardian' reports. .
According to Alabama Dr. Mamie McLean, patients are wondering if they can still
safely become parents with IVF.
They’re worried about what to
do with their frozen embryos. They
want to be the ones who make the
decisions on how best to utilize their
embryos – not the Supreme Court, Dr. Mamie McLean, via 'The Guardian'.
Frankly, because of the lack of
guidance, we don’t know exactly
how this translates to our care, Dr. Mamie McLean, via 'The Guardian'.
Since each embryo is now considered a person in Alabama, doctors may have issues freezing, thawing, transferring or testing them, 'The Guardian' reports. .
It's also not clear if embryos, which are
often produced in excess to provide
optimal chances for pregnancy, can ever
be disposed of if no longer needed.
Sean Tipton, chief advocacy and policy officer for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, called the decision a "nonsensical ruling with devastating consequences.".
The court, of course, didn’t deign to
deal with the real-world implications of
their decision, but they are profound, Sean Tipton, chief advocacy and policy officer for the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine, via 'The Guardian'.
If you’re a physician or an embryologist
working in that clinic, you now stand ready
to be charged with manslaughter or
threatened with a wrongful death suit
because one of the embryos didn’t happen
to survive the freeze-thaw process, Sean Tipton, chief advocacy and policy officer for the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine, via 'The Guardian'.
Providers may also be forced to transfer multiple embryos to patients, which could result in twins, triplets or more, endangering a patient's health.