It was ruled that the frozen embryos were children

the Supreme Court of Alabama The ruling was made on Friday Frozen embryos are babies, Anyone who destroys it could be held liable, in a decision reproductive rights advocates say is possible To endanger artificial insemination Overall, it affects hundreds of thousands of people in the United States.

The decision (7-2) came after two lawsuits Charged with “causing death” At a fertility clinic in 2021 when a man breaks into it and destroys the stored embryos.

This decision is the first of its kind, and is being studied by countries at the national level Additional restrictions on abortion and childbearing; Highlighting the entire issue as one of the major issues in the run-up to the presidential election. At the federal level, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether to restrict access to abortion medication, in the first federal decision since Roe v. Wade 2022.

The specific decision gives the right even to individual states Preventing abortion, Thus violating every right of women.

The Alabama decision focused on its rationale On whether a person who destroyed the frozen embryos of other couples and is facing charges of causing death can be held liable. The court ruled so “Unborn children are children” This also applies to frozen embryos, Ultimately, fertilized eggs provide the same protection as children, should they be destroyed.

“The decision applies to all children, born and unborn, without restrictions.” The court announced. “It is not the role of this court to go ahead and impose restrictions, based on our own view, or what is considered politically correct or not. In the case of this country, citizens have adopted a framework intended to prevent courts from excluding “unborn life” from “protection.” Legal”.

This ruling invalidates a previous court of first instance that considered that the embryos were not compatible with the child’s status, as it put it. η Washington Post. Court dicision It would have “catastrophic consequences” for the 1 in 6 infertile people who need IVF to start a family, Barb Collura saidPresident and CEO of Resolve: The National Infertility Association.

Advocates of anti-abortion laws It has tried in the past to make the destruction of embryos illegal, although no Supreme Court has yet ruled on that. Kansas, among other states, has considered legislation banning the destruction of embryos, but the bill has not moved forward.

The Alabama Citizens Case law passed in 2018 grants full personality rights to unborn children, Indistinguishable from frozen embryos. Alabama is also “responsible” for more than half of the pregnancy-related court cases across the United States, as abortions are illegal in that state.

Abortion rights advocates appreciate that That this Alabama movement is creating “reasonable” for anti-abortionists, And he gives them the excuse they have. the question is What will happen to the fertilized eggs that will be kept frozen? If a woman actually becomes pregnant during an IVF attempt, during which multiple embryos are created.

So things get complicated as well Concerned parents and IVF clinics are concerned about the possibility of rejection of fertilized eggs It can make them accountable and impose sanctions on them. The same applies to health workers in the event of unintentional destruction of the fetus.

This can directly impact whether patients decide to pursue IVF. The Alabama Medical Association also warned that the decision could make IVF more expensive or lead to fertility clinics closing or moving out of state due to increased risk of lawsuits.

The blackout of the Bible

The judges rejected all of the above concerns. In fact, during his speech, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker said, He quoted a verse from the Bible that speaks about “the sanctity of unborn life.” “Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without losing His glory,” he said, as reported by The Washington Post.

It is understood that the criticism surrounding the appointment of the judge focused on the fact that the religious beliefs of the justice employee They cannot influence to this extent the personal decision that ultimately determines the lives of others. The court ruling does not regulate Exceptional conditions that would allow the potential destruction of eggs, However, it gives a dark “signal” that other countries may adopt.

According to estimates in the United States there is at least 600,000 frozen embryos are stored across the country. Still, almost 2% of births annually in the country, including artificial insemination.

President Joe Biden Committed to protecting abortion And access to reproductive rights, while the Republican candidate Donald Trump He told his supporters that he would support a ban on abortion after 16 weeks, however Appointment of conservative members to the Supreme Court of the United States during his presidency, which overturned abortion rights.