Experts fear potential Roe v. Wade overturn will negatively impact IVF treatments

PITTSBURGH — In an article first published by Politico, the Supreme Court is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to leaked draft documents.

Experts fear that the potential ruling does not just impact abortions, but instead puts the microscope on many aspects of reproductive health, including a ban on infertility treatments — already difficult to secure.

“A massive change not about abortion at all, but about miscarriage about the management of ectopic pregnancies, or tubal pregnancies, and certainly about in-vitro fertilization,” said Sue Frietsche, a senior staff attorney for the Women’s Law Project of Pittsburgh.

Legal experts said if Roe v. Wade is overturned, then all aspects of reproductive health will be impacted—which means families trying to have a baby using IVF will also be hurt by this decision.

“If you throw away a fertilized egg, a state could have the power to make that equivalent of murder,” said Frietsche.

In Pennsylvania, that could be a likely reality as the state already has a mandatory monitoring system in place for medical professionals.

“Already medical professionals have to report to the state how many eggs they fertilize, how many eggs they implant and how many eggs they discard,” said Frietsche.

There is currently legislation in Harrisburg, Senate bill 956, which would clarify that there is no right to an abortion or abortion funding within Pennsylvania’s constitution. Republican State Senator Judy Ward sponsored the Bill and said today:

“It will prevent taxpayer dollars from funding elective terminations and will preserve the authority of elected officials – not the judicial branch – to enact future abortion laws,” said Ward in a statement released by her office.

Doctors said with many barriers to IVF already, including money and access, any new barriers would have a significant impact.

“It can be a private, isolating, painful process for women,” said, OBGYN, Dr. Grace Ferguson, who would like to see family planning left to the family.

“Medical decisions need to stay private between doctors and patients and patients need to be trusted to make the right decisions for their families,” said Ferguson.

Senate Bill 956 has passed the committee, and if it is able to pass the full legislator, it could end up on a ballot.

Pittsburgh reacts to Roe v. Wade decision draft leak

©2022 Cox Media Group