Trump's order may rekindle IVF debate among conservatives
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
President Trump's order to expand access to in vitro fertilization will test Republican solidarity on an issue that split GOP ranks in the run-up to the election.
Why it matters: IVF is generally enjoys broad support among Americans, including many conservatives, but at times has been problematic for some in the anti-abortion movement, who object to the destruction of surplus embryos created through the process.
- Trump on Tuesday ordered policy recommendations to reduce the costs for accessing the procedure, which can range from $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle.
- The procedure is often not fully covered by insurance, with roughly a quarter of employers reporting coverage of IVF for their workers, according to the White House.
The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life said that it doesn't object to "ethical fertility treatments paired with strong medical safety standards."
- "We also believe human embryos should not be destroyed," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.
Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association told Axios improved access to IVF goes beyond insurance coverage to "patient autonomy over their body."
- "You want doctor-patient relationship preserved so if somebody needs a certain type of procedure, or, needs genetic testing or the like, that they're able to get that care."
- While applauding the way Trump elevated IVF, she added: "This is certainly something that the president is going to have to reconcile with people in his own party."
The big picture: The executive order was cheered by some conservatives such as Alabama Sen. Katie Britt and conservative groups like Americans for IVF (AIVF).
- It's also backed by Elon Musk, who's opted for IVF to conceive several children.
Flashback: Alabama became the focal point for IVF and fertility care a year ago, when the state's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF were children under state law.
- That created a flurry of legal questions and temporarily halted procedures until Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law preserving the availability of IVF in the state.
- The issue has divided Republicans, some of whom have struggled to square their declared belief that life begins at conception with the fact that surplus embryos created through IVF are often discarded as medical waste.
- Senate Republicans twice last year blocked efforts to enshrine federal protections for IVF, dismissing the proposal as a "show vote" ahead of the elections.
Dannenfelser said Trump's order should come in tandem with oversight over the procedure.
- "Rogue practitioners who switch human embryos, fail to follow basic safety standards or negligently destroy human embryos desired by infertile couples must be held to account under any federal role in fertility treatment," she said.
Trump's announcement came the same day a Georgia woman filed suit against a fertility clinic alleging the clinic mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo inside of her — timing posters on social media who disagree with IVF were quick to point out.
- Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins implored Trump on X to instead to create new regulations for the industry. "IVF kills human beings, exploits women, is eugenic, and should never be tax-funded," she wrote on X.
The other side: Abortion rights groups dismissed the move and again tied Trump to abortion bans and other limits on women's health care.
- "Access to fertility treatments like IVF is critical for people trying to start or grow their families — and it's Democrats who have supported pro-IVF and pro-contraception policies," Reproductive Freedom for All said in a statement.
