![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaLet individual states decide abortion rights, Trump saysPublished25 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, Getty ImagesBy James FitzGerald & Sam CabralBBC NewsDonald Trump has said decisions about abortion rights should be left to the states, releasing a statement on the contentious election issue on Monday.Many in his Republican Party had wanted him to back a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.But Mr Trump said policies should be set by individual states – as they have been since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade decision in 2022.Since then, preserving abortion rights has become a top issue for many voters.Some states have been tightening restrictions on abortion, while others have moved to widen access. President Joe Biden, responding to Mr Trump’s statement, said his rival in November’s election was worried voters would punish him on the issue at the polls.In his video, Mr Trump declared: “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint; the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both.”Mr Trump also said he was “proudly the person responsible” for the change brought about by the US Supreme Court two years ago, when it overturned the longstanding Roe v Wade decision that a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy was protected by the US constitution.In 2016, Mr Trump campaigned on appointing justices who would overturn Roe v Wade – and went on to put three conservatives on the court during his presidency.In his statement, he acknowledged this would create a piecemeal situation: “Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others. But he said it came down to “the will of the people”, adding: “You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith.” Mr Trump added that he was in favour of exceptions when rape or incest were involved, or the life of the mother was in danger. Four ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaFlorida takes centre stage in US abortion battle19th Century law fires up anti-abortion pushHe also reiterated he was in favour of fertility treatments including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), a reference to the Alabama supreme court ruling that opened a new front in the battle over reproductive rights.The former president also falsely claimed that national Democratic leaders have a “radical” abortion position that includes “execution after birth”.Mr Trump, who is all but certain to be the Republican presidential candidate, acknowledged that the abortion issue has caused major problems for his party in elections held since 2022. Voters angry at the Supreme Court decision have showed up at the polls to support Democratic candidates, as well as ballot measures intended to preserve access to abortion. Democrats have seized on the issue as a way to help re-elect Mr Biden in November.On Monday the president sent out a lengthy response to the Trump statement, saying his rival was “scrambling”.”Having created the chaos of overturning Roe, he’s trying to say, ‘Oh, never mind. Don’t punish me for that. I just want to win,'” Mr Biden wrote.He also alleged that Mr Trump would sign off on a federal abortion ban proposed by congressional Republicans if he returned to the White House.Mr Biden has made universal access to abortion a central campaign issue and pledged that he will work to create a federal law based on the Roe decision.Conservative reaction to Mr Trump’s message was largely negative, with the conservative Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America group saying it was “deeply disappointed”.Some took issue with him not saying at what number of weeks he supports a ban – despite previously signalling support for a 15-week limit – and many also said abortion policy should be set by the federal government.South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally who has proposed a 15-week abortion ban, said he “respectfully [disagrees]” that abortion should be decided by individual states.”The pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child – not geography,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).The head of the Students for Life of America reaffirmed her support for Mr Trump but said the group would keep pushing.”We clearly have some work to do to educate President Trump in the many ways that abortion has been made federal,” Kristan Hawkins wrote on X.While conservative states have moved to limit abortion access over the last two years, other states have passed laws to enshrine abortion rights in law. Last week, Florida became the latest state to chart its own course – setting up perhaps the highest-stakes political showdown on the issue so far. First, the state’s supreme court upheld the state’s right to prohibit abortion, giving the green light for a six-week ban to take effect on 1 May. This amounts to a near-total ban, given that many women do not realise they are pregnant at six weeks.But the court is also allowing Floridians to vote in November on whether abortion rights should be protected in the state constitution.Mr Trump, who resides in Florida, won the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections – but the Biden campaign says the abortion debate has made the state “winnable” in November.Related TopicsAbortionFloridaIVFDonald TrumpUS abortion debateMore on this storyFlorida voters to have say on six-week abortion banPublished6 days agoTop StoriesLive. Crowds in Mexico and Texas see partial solar eclipseLive. Qatar cautiously optimistic as Israel and Hamas continue ceasefire talksWatch: Gaza footage shows collapsed buildings and homes in ruin. VideoWatch: Gaza footage shows collapsed buildings and homes in ruinPublished8 hours agoFeaturesWhen and where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?’The NHS paid for my mum to go private. She died’Gazans return to devastation in Khan YounisMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their helpBiggest WrestleMania yet? Fans stunned as The Rock and The Undertaker return to ringAmy Winehouse film: ‘Paparazzi are the villains’ not BlakeBBC visits ruins of kibbutz Nir Oz, abandoned after Hamas attack. VideoBBC visits ruins of kibbutz Nir Oz, abandoned after Hamas attackHow much is the state pension worth now?When is Eid al-Fitr and how do Muslims celebrate it?Elsewhere on the BBCFinding the funny in the week’s big storiesIan Hislop, Paul Merton and a who’s who of hosts welcome a gaggle of guest panellistsAttributioniPlayerBlowing the lid on a baffling online scamPolly Weston’s determined to get to the bottom of the con involving a £138 dehumidifierAttributionSoundsWhat went disastrously wrong at Pontins?An investigation into the state of three holiday parks before their sudden closure…AttributioniPlayerThe opera-loving sisters who ‘stumbled’ into heroismHelena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War TwoAttributionSoundsMost Read1Human remains found in Croydon park are identified2Bradford stabbing victim named as manhunt continues3Marvel star Majors avoids jail and gets probation4Two men jailed for footballer’s nightclub murder5When and where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?6How I was targeted in the Westminster honeytrap7What’s behind Russian frenzy to blame Ukraine for concert attack?8Long Covid blood clues could prompt future trials9Fans hail ‘best WrestleMania’ as WWE icons return10Jail people for Post Office scandal, says minister](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/1478/production/_133104250_gettyimages-2133977364.jpg)
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaLet individual states decide abortion rights, Trump saysPublished25 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, Getty ImagesBy James FitzGerald & Sam CabralBBC NewsDonald Trump has said decisions about abortion rights should be left to the states, releasing a statement on the contentious election issue on Monday.Many in his Republican Party had wanted him to back a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.But Mr Trump said policies should be set by individual states – as they have been since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade decision in 2022.Since then, preserving abortion rights has become a top issue for many voters.Some states have been tightening restrictions on abortion, while others have moved to widen access. President Joe Biden, responding to Mr Trump’s statement, said his rival in November’s election was worried voters would punish him on the issue at the polls.In his video, Mr Trump declared: “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint; the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both.”Mr Trump also said he was “proudly the person responsible” for the change brought about by the US Supreme Court two years ago, when it overturned the longstanding Roe v Wade decision that a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy was protected by the US constitution.In 2016, Mr Trump campaigned on appointing justices who would overturn Roe v Wade – and went on to put three conservatives on the court during his presidency.In his statement, he acknowledged this would create a piecemeal situation: “Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others. But he said it came down to “the will of the people”, adding: “You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith.” Mr Trump added that he was in favour of exceptions when rape or incest were involved, or the life of the mother was in danger. Four ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaFlorida takes centre stage in US abortion battle19th Century law fires up anti-abortion pushHe also reiterated he was in favour of fertility treatments including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), a reference to the Alabama supreme court ruling that opened a new front in the battle over reproductive rights.The former president also falsely claimed that national Democratic leaders have a “radical” abortion position that includes “execution after birth”.Mr Trump, who is all but certain to be the Republican presidential candidate, acknowledged that the abortion issue has caused major problems for his party in elections held since 2022. Voters angry at the Supreme Court decision have showed up at the polls to support Democratic candidates, as well as ballot measures intended to preserve access to abortion. Democrats have seized on the issue as a way to help re-elect Mr Biden in November.On Monday the president sent out a lengthy response to the Trump statement, saying his rival was “scrambling”.”Having created the chaos of overturning Roe, he’s trying to say, ‘Oh, never mind. Don’t punish me for that. I just want to win,'” Mr Biden wrote.He also alleged that Mr Trump would sign off on a federal abortion ban proposed by congressional Republicans if he returned to the White House.Mr Biden has made universal access to abortion a central campaign issue and pledged that he will work to create a federal law based on the Roe decision.Conservative reaction to Mr Trump’s message was largely negative, with the conservative Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America group saying it was “deeply disappointed”.Some took issue with him not saying at what number of weeks he supports a ban – despite previously signalling support for a 15-week limit – and many also said abortion policy should be set by the federal government.South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally who has proposed a 15-week abortion ban, said he “respectfully [disagrees]” that abortion should be decided by individual states.”The pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child – not geography,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).The head of the Students for Life of America reaffirmed her support for Mr Trump but said the group would keep pushing.”We clearly have some work to do to educate President Trump in the many ways that abortion has been made federal,” Kristan Hawkins wrote on X.While conservative states have moved to limit abortion access over the last two years, other states have passed laws to enshrine abortion rights in law. Last week, Florida became the latest state to chart its own course – setting up perhaps the highest-stakes political showdown on the issue so far. First, the state’s supreme court upheld the state’s right to prohibit abortion, giving the green light for a six-week ban to take effect on 1 May. This amounts to a near-total ban, given that many women do not realise they are pregnant at six weeks.But the court is also allowing Floridians to vote in November on whether abortion rights should be protected in the state constitution.Mr Trump, who resides in Florida, won the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections – but the Biden campaign says the abortion debate has made the state “winnable” in November.Related TopicsAbortionFloridaIVFDonald TrumpUS abortion debateMore on this storyFlorida voters to have say on six-week abortion banPublished6 days agoTop StoriesLive. Crowds in Mexico and Texas see partial solar eclipseLive. 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VideoBBC visits ruins of kibbutz Nir Oz, abandoned after Hamas attackHow much is the state pension worth now?When is Eid al-Fitr and how do Muslims celebrate it?Elsewhere on the BBCFinding the funny in the week’s big storiesIan Hislop, Paul Merton and a who’s who of hosts welcome a gaggle of guest panellistsAttributioniPlayerBlowing the lid on a baffling online scamPolly Weston’s determined to get to the bottom of the con involving a £138 dehumidifierAttributionSoundsWhat went disastrously wrong at Pontins?An investigation into the state of three holiday parks before their sudden closure…AttributioniPlayerThe opera-loving sisters who ‘stumbled’ into heroismHelena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War TwoAttributionSoundsMost Read1Human remains found in Croydon park are identified2Bradford stabbing victim named as manhunt continues3Marvel star Majors avoids jail and gets probation4Two men jailed for footballer’s nightclub murder5When and where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?6How I was targeted in the Westminster honeytrap7What’s behind Russian frenzy to blame Ukraine for concert attack?8Long Covid blood clues could prompt future trials9Fans hail ‘best WrestleMania’ as WWE icons return10Jail people for Post Office scandal, says minister
[ad_1] His statement on the contentious election issue was criticised by both conservatives and Democrats.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAlabama IVF ruling divides devout Christians: ‘Fewer children will be born’Published3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Ian DruceImage caption, Margaret Boyce was days away from her first appointment for IVF when Alabama made its rulingBy Nomia IqbalBBC News in Birmingham, AlabamaWhen Alabama’s Supreme Court defined frozen embryos as children, the shock and confusion was immediate. Major hospitals pulled fertility services and would-be parents scrambled for clarity on what would happen next.The debate over reproductive rights in America has long been driven, in part, by opposition to abortion from Christian groups – but this ruling has divided that movement and ignited debate about the role of theology in US lawmaking.Margaret Boyce is soft-spoken, a private person, and certainly not – in her words – a “crier”.She had been taking fertility drugs for 10 months and was days away from her first appointment for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) when the justices of Alabama’s top court upended her life.Their ruling, which prompted many fertility clinics to pause their work, has left her turning to the Bible daily for comfort.The 32-year-old and her husband have a young boy but, second time round, she is experiencing unexplained infertility. Building a family has always been the dream.”I’m one of three. I feel like it’s the greatest gift to give your child a sibling,” she said.”The journey to becoming parents is different for every single couple – mentally, emotionally and financially,” she added, welling up.”This ruling has added more unnecessary anxiety to something that is already so hard.”For a devout Christian like Margaret, the ruling – given its consequences for what she sees clearly as a process to create life – is even more difficult to comprehend.”God,” she said, “tells you to go forth and be fruitful and multiply.”What is the ruling and what does it mean for fertility patients?IVF is a difficult and lengthy treatment, involving the fertilisation of a woman’s eggs with sperm in a lab to create a microscopic embryo. The fertilised embryo is then transferred into a woman’s uterus, where it may create a pregnancy – but a successful outcome is not guaranteed.Embryos are often frozen or eventually destroyed as part of IVF, which accounts for around 2% of US pregnancies.The Alabama court ruled that an existing law – wrongful death of a minor – covers not just foetuses in the womb, but embryos held in a lab or storage facility too.It did not explicitly restrict or ban IVF, but it has still created deep uncertainty for clinics and medical workers who handle embryos and fear prosecution. In recent days the office of the state’s attorney general said he had “no intention” of pursuing criminal charges against IVF clinics – but one clinic told the BBC this statement lacked detail and did not quell their fears.While the majority of the justices rooted their ruling in law, Chief Justice Tom Parker also had a higher authority in mind, repeatedly invoking scripture in explaining his decision.The people of Alabama, he wrote in a concurring opinion, had adopted a “theologically-based view of the sanctity of life” in their state constitution.Image source, Supeme Court of AlabamaImage caption, Chief Justice Tom Parker, of the Alabama Supreme CourtDelving into religious sources from classic Christian theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas and also a modern conservative Christian manifesto, he concluded that “even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory”.Some anti-abortion groups celebrated the explicit use of scripture in Justice Parker’s opinion to justify what for them was a momentous decision. Tony Perkins, president of evangelical activist group the Family Research Council, described it as “a beautiful defence of life”.But the chief justice’s theocratic justification has left Margaret puzzled. She doesn’t believe in abortion but she also struggles to see a frozen embryo as a living person. For her, life begins with a heartbeat.”Nobody understands more that an embryo is not a child,” she said, before taking a pause, “than the person yearning for that embryo to be a child.”US courts do sometimes make decisions that seem to be based on religious premises, said Meredith Render, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law.But, she added, “rarely do you see it as explicitly stated” as in the chief justice’s opinion.Alabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatment The ruling was however “not an outlier” for a conservative court in a red state, said Kelly Baden, the vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion legislation across the US. “We do see that many elected officials and judges alike are often coming at this debate from a highly religious lens,” she said.While the Alabama state Supreme Court is not appointed by the US president, more than 200 judges were appointed by Donald Trump to federal courts during his four-year term, winning him lasting support from American evangelicals.During his presidency he was able to nominate three new justices to the nine-member Supreme Court – all of whom sided with the majority in striking down the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had guaranteed a federal right to abortion.Since that decision in 2022 re-opened a national battle over reproductive rights, courts in Missouri have quoted Biblical teachings to justify restricting abortion rights and a Trump-appointed judge in Texas who previously worked for a Christian legal organisation tried to impose a nationwide ban on Mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill.While many Republican politicians comfortably agree with such rulings, restrictions on abortion imposed by conservative courts have proved a potent campaign issue for Democrats in recent elections, including the 2022 midterms. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Donald Trump has said he supports the availability of IVF treatment, calling on Alabama to find “an immediate solution”The Alabama decision, made by Republican judges and affecting fertility treatments widely supported by the US public, went one step further, prompting immediate fear of a political backlash in a presidential election year. Any sign of IVF being endangered could worsen the anger that’s already cost Republicans since the fall of Roe v Wade, especially among suburban women and those who are uncomfortable with abortion bans.Donald Trump himself, the clear frontrunner in the Republican nomination race, came out strongly in support of IVF, calling on Alabama lawmakers to preserve access to the treatment. His last remaining rival Nikki Haley at first appeared to support the ruling, but then backtracked.Alabama IVF ruling a political gift for Democrats, headache for Republicans”It’s a win philosophically for the pro-life movement because it carries on the pro-life recognition of unborn life,” said Eric Johnston, president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition. “But you get into a very difficult situation, where you have this medical procedure that’s accepted by most people, and then how do you deal with it? That’s the dilemma.”I agree with the opinion overall – I think it’s well written opinion from the legal side and from the medical side,” he added. “But I think the pro-life community in general supports IVF, and I’ve known and worked with many people who have had children via IVF. And at the same time, they think abortion is wrong. This issue is so different from abortion, but it has to do with life.”What next for fertility patients in Alabama and beyond?For patients in the deep-south state, the last week has been one of panicked phone calls to clinics, emails to local lawmakers and a rush by some to try and transfer frozen embryos out of the state.Rodney Miller, 46, and his wife Mary Leah, 41, spent a decade trying to have children, before IVF allowed them to give birth to a set of twins 18 months ago, who were adopted as frozen embryos.He said he “thanks the Lord for the advances in science and medicine” that made that possible.Image source, Ian DruceImage caption, Rodney Miller warned the ruling could mean fewer children are bornThe couple are now going through the process again, and waiting to see if two embryos transplanted this week will develop into a pregnancy.”This is not a win [for the Christian right],” says Rodney, who works for Carrywell, an organisation that supports families through infertility.”It’s the classic case of you won the battle but lost the war. Fewer children will be born because of this unless things change.”How did we become a state where if you want to terminate a pregnancy, you have to leave the state and if you want to initiate a pregnancy, via IVF you [also] have to leave the state?”Whether the ruling in Alabama influences decisions elsewhere is an open question. Foetal personhood bills, which enshrine the idea that life begins at conception, have been introduced in more than a dozen states. But these bills, while pushing the idea that a foetus or embryo is a person, don’t explicitly relate that to the context of IVF, said Kelly Baden of the Guttmacher Institute.The Alabama ruling – with its implications that go far beyond abortion access – does not therefore constitute a trend, she said.Alabama family lawyer Ashleigh Meyer Dunham, who has used IVF herself, has been working with a large number of cases affected by the ruling. She said she was “terrified” that fertility patients in other states could eventually be affected.Image source, Ian DruceImage caption, Ashleigh Meyer Dunham is worried that more states might make similar rulings”I think the biggest concerns are that people elsewhere forget about us and they think, ‘Oh they’re just the conservative state, and they’re all country bumpkins. Don’t worry it will never happen here.'”And the next thing you know, it is happening in other states that are ultra-conservative.”Because the Alabama ruling involves an interpretation of state, not federal law, it is unlikely to reach the US Supreme Court. Currently a bill is going through the state house in Alabama, introduced by Democrats, which would aim to effectively pause the ruling and allow treatments to resume as before. Republicans are expected to propose their own bill. If they do, they have to find a way to balance a divided religious constituency, with some celebrating the court’s ruling and others disturbed by its potential implications for IVF.Margaret is praying that lawmakers find a solution.”I’m not very outspoken, I keep myself to myself. But if any of my friends or family heard that I was sending emails to every single representative and senator, I think they would be shocked.”She takes a breath.”But this has got me fired up. It is all I can think about now.”Alex Lederman contributed reporting from Alabama. Additional research from Kayla Epstein in New York.Related TopicsIVFAlabamaUnited StatesMore on this storyAlabama clinics pause IVF treatments over court rulingPublished3 days agoWhat does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?Published3 days agoTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatmentPublished1 day agoAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellPublished2 days agoTop StoriesDeputy PM declines to say whether MP’s remarks were IslamophobicPublished5 hours agoZelensky says 31,000 troops killed in war in UkrainePublished4 hours ago’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout ChristiansPublished3 hours agoFeaturesThe converted landmark buildings given new lifeIn pictures: Celebrating the Lantern FestivalDissent is dangerous in Putin’s Russia, but activists refuse to give upThe winners and nominees at the SAG AwardsKim Petras on sexual liberation and fighting TikTokInside the long-abandoned tunnel beneath the ClydeHow a £525 bet gave birth to your morning commuteThe man who tried to eat every animal on Earth. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaMajor Alabama hospital pauses IVF after court rules frozen embryos are childrenPublishedJust nowShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Carlos DuarteImage caption, In vitro fertilization is a common form of fertility care in the US.By Kayla EpsteinBBC NewsA ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos are considered children, and that a person could be held liable for accidentally destroying them, has opened up a new front in the US battle over reproductive medicine.The southern US state’s largest hospital has paused its in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services in the wake of the decision, over fears it could expose them to criminal prosecution.The University of Alabama at Birmingham health system said it would continue retrieving eggs from women’s ovaries. But it said it would halt the next step in the IVF process, in which the eggs are fertilised with sperm before being implanted into the uterus.”We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF,” the leading state medical provider said in a statement.”But we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments.”Medical experts and reproductive advocacy groups warned the ruling could have negative consequences for fertility treatments in Alabama and beyond. Conservative groups welcomed the ruling, arguing that even the tiniest embryo deserved legal protection.Why did this lawsuit occur and what did the court rule?The case stems from a wrongful death lawsuit brought by three couples whose embryos were lost at a fertility clinic in 2020.A patient had wandered into the place where the embryos were stored, handled them, and accidentally dropped them. As a result, the embryos were destroyed.The couples sought to sue the Center for Reproductive Medicine and the Mobile Infirmary Association under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. That law covers foetuses, but did not specifically cover embryos resulting from IVF.A lower court had ruled that the embryos did not qualify as a person or child, and that a wrongful death lawsuit could not move forward. But in its ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court sided with the couples, and ruled that frozen embryos were considered “children”. The wrongful death law applied to “all unborn children, regardless of their location”, the decision said.Concurring with the majority opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote: “Even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”What are the implications for Alabama fertility patients?The ruling does not ban or restrict IVF and in fact, the couples who brought the case actively sought out the procedure.But the decision may cause confusion about whether some aspects of IVF are legal under Alabama law, experts say. If an embryo is considered a person, it could raise questions about how clinics are allowed to use and store them.Elisabeth Smith, director of state policy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told the BBC in a statement: “Not all [IVF] embryos are used, nor can they be. “To enact legislation granting legal personhood to embryos could have disastrous consequences for the use of IVF – a science many people rely on to build their families.” Ambiguity over the law could also extend to patients themselves, who may worry about whether the procedure remains available or legal.The Medical Association of the State of Alabama said in a statement: “The significance of this decision impacts all Alabamians and will likely lead to fewer babies – children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins – as fertility options become limited for those who want to have a family.”How does this tie in with the US abortion debate?When the US Supreme Court struck down a nationwide right to abortion in 2022, it opened the door for states to make their own laws on the issue.Since the decision, Democratic-controlled states have expanded access while Republican-controlled states have restricted it.Alabama already has a total ban on abortion, at all stages of pregnancy.The White House called the Alabama ruling “exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make”.Abortion opponents are also watching this ruling closely. The question of when an embryo or a foetus is legally considered a person is a factor in many state abortion restrictions.The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, described the Alabama ruling as a “tremendous victory for life”.”No matter the circumstances, all human life is valuable from the moment of conception,” spokeswoman Denise Burke said in a statement to the BBC. “We are grateful the Court correctly found that Alabama law recognises this fundamental truth.”Other anti-abortion activists said IVF was not as clear-cut an ethical issue in their eyes, compared to terminating a pregnancy.Eric Johnston, a lawyer who helped draft Alabama’s constitutional language on abortion in 2018, told the BBC: “By and large the pro-life community would say that fertilised eggs are in need of protection.”But he acknowledged there were couples with anti-abortion views who had used IVF to have children, and said he would never condemn them.”It’s a dilemma, and a dilemma is something where you don’t have a satisfactory answer,” he added.What is IVF? Invitro fertilisation offers a possible solution where a woman faces challenges getting pregnant. Around 2% of US pregnancies are the result of IVF, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The process involves retrieving the woman’s eggs with a needle from her ovaries and combining them with a man’s sperm in a lab. The fertilised embryo is then transferred into the woman’s uterus, where it may create a pregnancy. But the process is not guaranteed, and it can take multiple attempts to create a successful pregnancy. In some cases, as in the Alabama trial, the fertilised embryos are frozen and stored in tanks containing liquid nitrogen. They can be held for up to a decade, experts say. What could happen in other states?US states often tend to replicate each other’s legislation, and the US has seen this pattern play out with abortion. Often, states will take cues from each other about what laws or policies have successfully passed legislatures or withstood legal challenges.Though the Alabama ruling only applies within the state, experts said other states could see legislative attempts or lawsuits aimed at advancing the concept that frozen embryos should legally be considered children or people.But they said it appeared unlikely this particular case would end up at the US Supreme Court, as the issue of abortion did, because the Alabama ruling originated in state court and concerns an interpretation of state, not federal, law.According to the Centers for Disease Control, 97,128 babies were born in the US as a result of IVF treatments in 2021.How could this ruling affect US politics?The right to abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion up to the point of foetal viability, about 23-25 weeks. In the wake of the Alabama ruling, Democratic candidates could run on a platform of protecting access to fertility treatment across the United States.Republican politicians, meanwhile, often side with religious conservatives who want abortion banned or limited in the US.Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, the only significant contender remaining in the race against Donald Trump for the party’s nomination, endorsed the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday.”Embryos to me, are babies,” she said. “When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that’s life and so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that.”You may also be interested in:This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Manon and Chris have been unable to conceive since having their daughter EfaRelated TopicsIVFAlabamaUnited StatesMore on this storyAlabama passes bill banning abortionPublished15 May 2019Four ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaPublished24 June 2023Top StoriesLive. 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