Where IVF stands in Georgia after Alabama ruling
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In vitro fertilization accounted for 2% of all births in Georgia in 2021, according to the most recent CDC data.
- That's slightly below the national figure of 2.3%.
Why it matters: IVF is top of mind for many after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF are children under state law.
- IVF typically takes more than one embryo to safely achieve pregnancy — and unused embryos are often discarded.
By the numbers: IVF and other assistive reproductive procedures performed in 2021 resulted in 2,321 live births in Georgia, per the CDC.
- More than 5,167 embryo transfers were performed to get that number of newborns.
Catch up quick: Alabama passed legislation following the state Supreme Court ruling to protect patients and doctors involved in IVF.
State of play: Georgia's GOP leaders have said they support IVF treatments and the state's abortion law covers embryos "in the womb," which would not apply to frozen ones used in IVF.
- However, state Sen. Elena Parent (D-Decatur) has proposed legislation to codify into law that a "human egg or fertilized human embryo outside a human uterus" would not be considered a child under Georgia law.
Meanwhile: In Congress, a bill to create federal protections for IVF services is getting its first Republican co-sponsor, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.
- Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), who represents a district President Biden won in 2020, is co-sponsoring the Access to Family Building Act, according to a statement first shared with Axios.