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Thursday, Sep. 19, 2024

Does a single round of IVF result in 10-20 abortions?

Sue Bin Park, Oklahoma Watch
no

In vitro fertilization, a process in which eggs are harvested from a patient’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm outside of the body, does not involve medically induced abortion.

During IVF, multiple embryos are created to allow for repeated attempts at implantation in the uterus. After a successful IVF pregnancy, patients are typically given the option to cryopreserve or discard the remaining embryos.

IVF does not involve a medically induced termination of a uterine pregnancy, which is what constitutes an abortion. Unsuccessful embryos are terminated outside the body or naturally fail to implant upon transfer.

A controversial ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court in February 2024 extended personhood to embryos resulting from IVF, raising concerns about the treatment’s legal status. Politicians such as Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin stated that the position was not in line with the Republican Party’s views.

See a full discussion of this at Oklahoma Watch

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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