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NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden criticized the Alabama Supreme Court‘s recent ruling that frozen embryos are children. The decision has prompted IVF clinics in the state to cease operations due to heightened exposure to wrongful death lawsuits.
Two clinics have officially announced pauses, with reports of a third clinic following suit.
Biden expressed his concern about the disregard for women’s autonomy in making decisions for themselves and their families.In a statement, he said, “The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable,”
The suspension of IVF procedures comes in the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling on a lawsuit against a fertility clinic, filed under the state’s 1872 Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.
What did the ruling say?
The lawsuit was filed by three couples whose frozen embryos were accidentally destroyed by a patient who gained access to a cryogenic nursery where they were stored. A lower court initially ruled that the embryos could not be considered a “person” or “child,” dismissing the wrongful-death claim.
However, the Alabama Supreme Court, in a 7-2 ruling, disagreed with the lower court’s decision. The court asserted that the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to all unborn children without limitation, emphasizing the sanctity of unborn human life, citing public policy and referencing the state’s conservative stance on abortion.
Consequences of ruling
In response to the court’s decision, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Mobile Infirmary announced immediate pauses to IVF procedures. A third clinic, Alabama Fertility in Birmingham, is reportedly following suit.
Alabama is among the states that have implemented restrictions on abortion access following the 2022 US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the constitutional right to the procedure.
Experts suggest that this ruling grants states the authority to determine questions of personhood, potentially impacting various aspects of reproductive health, including in vitro fertilization.
President Biden, linking the current situation to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, emphasized that the development is a direct consequence of that legal case, which previously safeguarded abortion as a national right. “Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” said Biden.
Vice President Kamala Harris joined Biden in criticizing the decision, characterizing it as an attack on women’s reproductive rights.
Democrats have positioned protecting abortion rights as a central issue in the upcoming November election, where Biden faces a challenging rematch against likely Republican rival, former president Donald Trump.
(With AFP inputs)
Two clinics have officially announced pauses, with reports of a third clinic following suit.
Biden expressed his concern about the disregard for women’s autonomy in making decisions for themselves and their families.In a statement, he said, “The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable,”
The suspension of IVF procedures comes in the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling on a lawsuit against a fertility clinic, filed under the state’s 1872 Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.
What did the ruling say?
The lawsuit was filed by three couples whose frozen embryos were accidentally destroyed by a patient who gained access to a cryogenic nursery where they were stored. A lower court initially ruled that the embryos could not be considered a “person” or “child,” dismissing the wrongful-death claim.
However, the Alabama Supreme Court, in a 7-2 ruling, disagreed with the lower court’s decision. The court asserted that the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to all unborn children without limitation, emphasizing the sanctity of unborn human life, citing public policy and referencing the state’s conservative stance on abortion.
Consequences of ruling
In response to the court’s decision, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Mobile Infirmary announced immediate pauses to IVF procedures. A third clinic, Alabama Fertility in Birmingham, is reportedly following suit.
Alabama is among the states that have implemented restrictions on abortion access following the 2022 US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the constitutional right to the procedure.
Experts suggest that this ruling grants states the authority to determine questions of personhood, potentially impacting various aspects of reproductive health, including in vitro fertilization.
President Biden, linking the current situation to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, emphasized that the development is a direct consequence of that legal case, which previously safeguarded abortion as a national right. “Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” said Biden.
Vice President Kamala Harris joined Biden in criticizing the decision, characterizing it as an attack on women’s reproductive rights.
Democrats have positioned protecting abortion rights as a central issue in the upcoming November election, where Biden faces a challenging rematch against likely Republican rival, former president Donald Trump.
(With AFP inputs)
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