President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling on his Domestic Policy advisor to make recommendations for expanding access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and reducing its costs. Eagle Forum’s stance has not changed on this issue. As we have established in the past, the current practices of the IVF industry need more study and regulation to address the serious ethical issues involved.
Eagle Forum believes that life begins at conception, thus the creation of embryos produces a human life. The vast majority of embryos created through the IVF process are destroyed through intentional or negligent actions. A report from the Centers for Disease Control showed that out of 4.1 million embryos created in 2021, only 2.3% resulted in live births.
In the wrongful death case of LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine, P.C., the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the embryos accidentally destroyed were indeed human lives deserving of justice.
Additionally, the IVF industry allows parents to design their own babies choosing characteristics such as sex, eye color, hair color, or even potential intelligence. They engage in eugenics — destroying the embryos that may have a possible genetic defect such as Down Syndrome and other abnormalities. Destroying life that is considered personally or culturally “undesirable” is unethical and should be illegal.
“We can be pro-family and pro-life while denouncing the ills of the IVF industry. IVF clinics have operated as the Wild West of artificial reproductive technology — largely unchecked and under-researched,” stated Eagle Forum President Kris Ullman. “There are too many legal and ethics issues to ignore. Yesterday, the Washington Post ran a story about a woman who is suing an IVF clinic for negligence after implanting another couple’s biological child in her womb, a mistake the woman claims has left her ‘emotionally broken.’ Expanding access to IVF with taxpayer dollars is not the answer. We will work with the President’s Domestic Policy Advisor to ensure that all life is respected and protected by law, including life created by in vitro fertilization.”
