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The Next Anti-Choice Frontier: IVF

Jill

IVF treatments have helped millions of women conceive; and now the “pro-life” movement is taking a stand against them.

An Illinois judge declares that an early embryo is a human being, allowing a couple to sue a clinic for destroying a fertilized egg.

A U.S. senator suggests that couples seeking fertility treatment should not be allowed to produce more embryos than they wish to implant simultaneously.

Anti-abortion activists picket a fertility clinic in Virginia, proclaiming, “IVF kills babies.”

One good thing: This stand against IVF demonstrates just how out of touch and extreme the anti-choice movement is. One out of every 100 children born in the United States is conceived through IVF. Sounds pretty pro-life to me.

One key quote, from a religious perspective:

“I cannot believe that a loving and merciful God would have a problem with us using the science he gave us to provide the joy and love we have in our house right now,” said Boughey, who described himself as active in the Presbyterian Church.

It is indeed scary that right-to-lifers are trying (with some sucess) to pass laws limiting the use of IVF — but it’s not surprising. When a group of people feels that it’s their right to legislate the wombs of America, we shouldn’t be shocked when they reach beyond abortion. And they will certainly reach beyond IVF; they’re already trying to go after basic birth control. Yet another reason to be pro-choice — and another example of how so-called “pro-life” groups care more about telling women what to do with their bodies than they do about actual life.

11 thoughts on The Next Anti-Choice Frontier: IVF

  1. Hi,

    First, I dropped by following your comment at Patriside cuz I wanted to see your summer mix. And then this caught my eye.

    The attack against IVF (and any infertility treatments) was inevitable, in my view. I am Catholic and also infertile, and I have received plenty of grief for even TRYING treatments (no success) because it is considered just as evil as using birth control / condoms by the church. The basic view seems to be not to mess with what God has made, just accept it – if god sends you lots of babies, that’s what you are supposed to have, if he sends you none – well, that’s it.

    I don’t agree, but this is the message I have been given over and over again.

  2. Not only does this reveal pro-life groups unflatteringly, I think it also makes the reverse point too. While pro-life groups often accuse pro-choice people of being anti-child, anti-family, this article makes me realize exactly how pro-family being pro-choice is. When we give women control of their bodies, we make it more possible for them to be careful and happy mothers.

    Thanks for this link, Jill! I’m having problems with trackbacks, but I’m going to link to your post.

  3. The “pro-life” groups who are finally acting semi-consistently with the life begins at conception message are biting the hand that increases their anti-choice poll results. The biggest increase in people who support anti-choice measures are from those who have been having difficuly with fertility issues (especially those who’ve had a rough time even using ART and resent the “selfishness” of women who choose to terminate pregnancies). Encourage the “pro-lifers” to keep this up and maybe people will see them for the oppressive theocrats they really are.

  4. Jesus h christ on a crutch! It would be a blessing to the intelligent life-forms that do exist on this planet if homo sapiens were removed from the equation.

  5. God, I hope they keep pushing this. The only reason anti-abortion legislation gets support in this country is lingering fears over female sexuality–but here’s women actually trying to be “good” and become mothers! People aren’t gonna like that.

  6. I think this is also bad for the anti-choice movement– I know that when laws like this have been floated in states like Virginia, there was mass mobilization from women dealing with infertility who identified as being all over the political spectrum– Chez Miscarriage was a great example of this. I think it may offend/involve a lot of women who saw themselves as straddling the fence before.

  8. In response to Marian Shah – the university itself is not doing anything against birth control. The problem is that they are a state university and thus subject to laws made by the government specificly about them. The state legislature is making a law that *supposedly* makes it illigal for the university to distribute morning-after pills, but the bill is worded such that it seems to include birth control pills too. The university is pretty upset about this, as is most of the city from what I can tell. The problem is that being a state university has it’s major drawbacks and this is one of them. I do agree it would be a fine thing for Feministe to post about, but do realize that in theory it isn’t about birth control but about morning after pills. I’ve been keeping my eye on this one (as a citizen of Madison, WI as well as a former UW student) and it’s not quite what it seems to be. Nevertheless, it really sucks and makes me sad and angry that it’s happening. It does serve to remind the city that though they may be incredibly liberal, the state they are in is not.

  9. Well, gee. I wasn’t aware of this particular facet of the anti-choice crowd, but it doesn’t surprise me in the least. Like everyone else here, I hope this does damage the anti-choice “cause” with the general public.

    I worry, though; our fearless leader is a fundie himself, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he believes the anti-IVF bilge. It’s just as ridiculous and despicable as the pharmacists who deny contraceptive Rxs to women (and, oh boy, I better not get myself started on that one).

  10. If I am correct, Bush is a-okay with IVF. Part of that, I assume, is that his brand believes women are destined to be mothers and this is a science that helps to achieve the ends to that belief.

  11. Oy vey. The same crowd who advocates the beating of children, the death penalty for juveniles and the removal of children from public schools decries the destruction of embryos.

    Methinks that in the anti-choice movement there lie the seeds of nascent fascism. Attacking the rights of women is but one strand in their strategy.

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