WASHINGTON — The end of Roe v. Wade would bar women across much of America from aborting a pregnancy. But it also may restrict millions more people trying to get pregnant.
State laws banning abortion entirely could unintentionally complicate access to in vitro fertilization, the process of creating embryos outside of the womb that results in over 55,000 babies each year, or 2% of annual births in the United States.
Over 2.5 million Americans in same-sex couples or struggling with fertility issues go through IVF each year, fertilizing as many eggs as possible in order to maximize their chances that one embryo results in a successful pregnancy. But the process often results in nonviable embryos, or more embryos than needed. Experts in the field now warn that state laws defining fertilization as the moment life begins could throw the procedure into legal jeopardy.
