With upcoming elections and constant controversy, it is sometimes hard to get a fundamental understanding of whatever is being debated. This knowledge is very important especially in looking at how the decisions made and the speeches given matter in the lives of everyday people. One of the most commonly featured debates is about IVF… but what is it?
In Vitro Fertilization- or IVF- is a series of medical procedures performed to combat infertility. Infertility is an emotionally painful condition in which affected couples cannot get pregnant. This condition plagues many across the world and certainly in the United States. IVF is a treatment that offers hope for those who want to start families.
The name itself explains a lot about the system of procedures. “In vitro” is Latin for “in glass”. In the lab, many medical procedures, tests, and experiments are carried out in test tubes or petri dishes— therefore alluding to a bit of the methods behind IVF. Step one of the IVF process is the stimulation of ovarian follicles to mature, prompted by hormones given to the mother. Step two is the collection of ovum- or eggs- from the follicles. Step three is fertilization of the egg (in glass) throughout either commingling in a petri dish or with needle assistance- a procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is characterized as the poking of the egg and injection of sperm to fertilize. Steps four and five are hormonal support for the mother and the reimplantation of the fertilized egg. Two weeks later, the expectant mother takes a pregnancy test to find out if the series worked.
Controversy about these procedures center around two things: what happens to the unused fertilized eggs and who assumes custody. In the collection of eggs, many are taken for hopes that at least one from the bunch will fertilize and transfer successfully. Say a total of 6 eggs are taken and fertilized, but only 3 are reimplanted. What do you do with the 3 fertilized left over? There are people who believe that those embryos are people and it would be murder to get rid of them- they would be discarded as medical waste. Say a couple takes out and fertilizes 6 eggs, only reimplant 1, and freeze the last 5. If the couple gets divorced after a couple years but the mother really wants another child, can she use the frozen fertilized eggs? They are the father’s “children” too. He would potentially have to pay child support for the child born after the divorce.
The issue of IVF is now pivotal in the 2024 presidential election cycle, primarily due to the reversal of Roe v. Wade and its protections of a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. Discussions about policy are best served by being properly informed on the subject as we take time to research and form our own opinions.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic- link
Dr. Hugh Ehrenberg- Virtua Health
Dr. Celeste Durnwald- Penn Medicine
