Why We Must Fight the Personhood Movement

If you haven't yet heard the word "personhood", you will hear it soon enough. Several conservative politicians in the U.S. have been working for more than five years to restrict women's access to reproductive healthcare services. The wide net they have cast was meant to catch abortion; unfortunately, infertility treatments including IVF are also caught up in that net. In 2007, a new law was proposed in Colorado (amendment_48) to change the definition of person to "include any human being from the moment of fertilization." According to RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, this would mean "from the moment the sperm penetrated the egg inside a woman's body or, in the case of in vitro fertilization (IVF), 'in the laboratory, the resultant microscopic cell or cells would have 'inalienable rights, equality of justice, and due process of law.'"

Because RESOLVE is an organization whose mission is to "promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for men and women experiencing infertility or other reproductive disorders," they have been the most vocal, united and active group working to fight these proposals and keep all forms of infertility treatment available to those who need them.

RESOLVE's analysis of the personhood movement is sobering, and thehe (possibly unintended yet real) consequences of this legislated definition of "personhood" could keep many people from receiving the medical interventions they need to create a family.

We soon realized that if embryos were, for the first time in this country, accorded all the rights of full human beings, then any loss of embryos in the course of IVF could, presumably, be tantamount to murder. The "personhood amendment" posed a serious threat to the ability of people with infertility to obtain mainstream, long-established treatments to help them have a family.

Personhood movements have popped up in several states since Colorado first proposed their amendment, including:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Mississippi
• Montana
• North Dakota
• Texas
• And, most recently, Oklahoma

A group calling themselves "Personhood USA" has ten additional states targeted in 2012 and have petitions going in all 50 states.

IVFConnections.com was created as a place for education and support for women (and men) affected by IVF- and infertility-related issues. Our mission is to empower our members to learn as much as possible about their fertility and treatment options so that they can advocate for themselves in doctors' offices and clinics, as well as provide a place where our members can receive both peer and professional support. IVFConnections has members from all over the world, with diverse belief systems and needs. Out of respect for our vast member base and to support their needs, IVFC rarely addresses politically-charged issues. But as the political landscape becomes more divisive and our members' lives are threatened by such extreme beliefs and legislation, IVFC will continue to expand our mission to educate and empower our members to learn as much as possible - both about their fertility and treatment options and about other aspects of infertility that may affect their ability to build the families they have every right to build.

There are no clear-cut answers; dualistic thinking polarizes and politicizes much of our public discourse. This either-or, black-and-white view of the world distills the multifaceted nature of life into a simplified dichotomy, ignoring the radiance and depth of the human experience. IVFConnections will continue to embrace and honor the similarities and differences which get woven into our rich and beautiful human tapestry, and we will make it a priority to bring any and all information to our members that affects their rights and ability to build their families.



Notes:
cartoon created by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune