Alabama IVF Resumes

A number of fertility clinics in Alabama are expected to resume in vitro fertilization treatments after Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a bill into law Wednesday meant to protect providers of the procedure and their employees.

The move comes in response to a recent state Supreme Court decision that said frozen embryos are extrauterine children, leaving providers vulnerable to wrongful death lawsuits if embryos are discarded or destroyed. The bipartisan legislation aims to safeguard IVF providers from lawsuits and criminal prosecution but does not directly address the legal status of frozen embryos.

The bill allows civil lawsuits against IVF equipment companies if the equipment damages or destroys an embryo. The provider at the center of the case in question said the bill does not provide enough protection and does not plan to immediately resume IVF services.

Roughly 1% of women aged 15 to 44 have used IVF or artificial insemination (42% of adults report having used the treatments or know someone who has).