Women who are having difficulty becoming pregnant are given new hope through a process known as IVF - in vitro fertilization. During the process, a woman’s egg is fertilized with the sperm of the husband, for example, and implanted into the woman’s uterus with the hopes that the pregnancy will take place. For a variety of reasons, the fertilized embryos may be frozen. Because of a number of medical complications, numerous fertilized eggs are frozen. Once a woman has had a successful IVF and is pregnant, the remaining fertilized embryos are destroyed. This is the main reason the Southern Baptist Convention and other religious organizations now oppose IVF.
There should be little doubt that the Southern Baptist Convention's condemnation of IVF is part of the culture wars promoted in the media and through social media during this presidential election year. The motives of the religious organizations for banning IVF may be sincere, but the promotion of such bans gain traction during an election year in which the fear of losing American culture is being instilled in many Americans.
One thing that sparked the opposition to IVF was the recent ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court that legally banned IVF procedures. While many will dismiss it as an “Alabama” thing, the ruling did seem to inspire this new mission to condemn IVF.
There is another aspect of opposition to IVF and destroying the extra frozen embryos that seems to contradict the opposition. One of the points brought up in support of condemning IVF is that the egg is not fertilized in the traditional manner of a man and woman having sex. So if the frozen fertilized embryo is not the result of sex between a man and a woman, then it appears that according to the argument condemning IVF that the frozen embryo is not a viable entity worthy of protection.
A recent Gallup Poll shows that 82% of Americans believe that IVF is morally acceptable. Forty-nine percent believe it is morally acceptable to destroy the frozen embryos and 43% say it’s morally wrong. Among Democrats 89% believe IVF and the destruction of frozen embryos is morally acceptable, 84% of Independents agree, and 72% of Republicans agree. The Senate is scheduled to vote today on protecting IVF.
Opposing IVF seems to be an extreme concept that may be inspired by the failure of the anti-abortion crusade to do more following the Supreme Court’s decision to essentially overturn Roe v Wade. But it’s obvious that the great majority of Americans, including Republicans, view IVF as a worthy medical procedure that can help women having trouble conceiving experience the miracle of birth.
