GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is siding with the Alabama Supreme Court decision that frozen embryos created through in-vitro fertilization can be considered children under state law.
“Embryos, to me, are babies,” Haley told NBC News. “When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that’s a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that.”
The Alabama ruling raises concerns about whether IVF will remain a viable option for families in the state who are having difficulty conceiving a child. Families or clinics could face wrongful death lawsuits under this policy if unused embryos are destroyed and it would be expensive to store frozen embryos, NBC noted.
“This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it,” Haley told the outlet when asked about the potential effects this ruling could have on families using IVF. “I know that when my doctor came in, we knew what was possible and what wasn’t. Every woman needs to know, with her partner, what she’s looking at. And then when you look at that, then you make the decision that’s best for your family.”
Meanwhile, the Alabama ruling is already having an effect in the state.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham health system said that it had halted the procedures “as it evaluates the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision that a cryopreserved embryo is a human being.”
“We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF, 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,” the hospital said.
