As the 2024 presidential election draws ever closer, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has emerged as a key issue and was the focus of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this week. The issue has gained significant traction following recent events and policy proposals, highlighting its importance in the broader context of reproductive rights and access to healthcare.
In February, attention on IVF came into even greater focus when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children. This controversial decision prompted some clinics in the state to temporarily halt IVF treatments, sparking widespread concern and backlash. In response to the public outcry, Alabama lawmakers quickly passed a law that shields IVF providers from civil and criminal liability and allows clinics to resume treatments.
The Republican Party’s stance on IVF and related issues remains complex, complicating the party’s message on abortion. Many Republican politicians, from state legislatures to Congress, believe that life begins at conception and argue that fertilized eggs should be afforded the full rights and legal protections of a human being. The Republican National Committee’s 2024 platform, developed in conjunction with the Trump campaign, supports states establishing fetal personhood through the 14th Amendment.
Former President Trump, however, has taken a more moderate stance. In an April 8 video message, Trump said abortion legislation should be left to the states and advocated making it “easier” for families to have children. He specifically stated, “That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every state in America.”
Democrats have taken up the issue. After the Dobbs decision struck down federal abortion rights, the backlash against the decision, including its potential implications for assisted reproduction, led to a wave of progressive victories. Since the Dobbs decision, several states have put abortion on statewide ballots, and it has become a central issue in major statewide elections—and now at the DNC and in the presidential race.
Michelle Obama
Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a powerful speech to the DNC on Tuesday, sharply criticizing former President Trump’s policies and their potential impact on women’s health and reproductive rights. In her address, Obama specifically referenced her personal experience with IVF, stating, “Look, the erosion of our health care system… the stripping away of our freedom to control our bodies… the freedom to become a mother through IVF, as I did – these things are not going to improve the health of our women, mothers and daughters.”
Gov. Andy Besheaer, Kentucky
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear emphasized the importance of women’s reproductive freedoms, including the right to IVF treatments, in his speech to the DNC on Tuesday. In his address, Beshear stated, “All women should have the freedom to make their own decisions. Freedom over their own bodies. Freedom over whether to have IVF. Freedom over whether to have children at all.”
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
The senator delivered an impassioned speech, sharing her personal story of having her daughters through IVF after suffering from infertility. Duckworth warned that Republicans could target IVF next if they succeed in banning abortion and urged voters to protect reproductive rights. “My struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I received on the battlefield,” said Duckworth, who lost her legs fighting in Iraq, emphasizing the personal nature of the issue.
Social media influencer Nabela Noor
Noor stressed how important IVF is for many women: “For many women, IVF is their only choice. That choice and more are at stake in November.”
Gwen Walz
In an article published in Glamour magazine this week to coincide with the DNC, Gwen Walz, wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, shared her personal experience with fertility treatments. Walz clarified that she underwent intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment, not in vitro fertilization (IVF), to conceive her son.
“Our fertility journey was an incredibly personal and difficult experience,” she said when discussing the IUI treatments. “We hope other families find comfort in our story.” She said a neighbor, who happened to be a nurse, came and helped me with the “shots I needed as part of the IUI process.”
Walz’s report offers a first-hand perspective on the issue and insight into the experiences of individuals who have used such medical interventions to start a family. “I am so grateful that we have had access to reproductive technology,” Walz stated in the article.
The timing of this publication in a week of heightened political attention draws further attention to the ongoing debate about access to reproductive technologies.
Michael Tyler, Director of Communications at Harris-Walz
At a DNC press conference on Wednesday, campaign spokespeople defended Gwen Walz’s comments in Glamour magazine and criticized Republicans’ stance on abortion and IVF, blaming Republicans for attacking Walz as a liar and insensitive to the personal struggles many Americans face with infertility.
“Frankly, I find it a little bizarre that JD Vance and Donald Trump want to attack the governor for experiencing something that other Americans have gone through themselves,” said Michael Tyler, Harris’ communications director, at the press conference.
Why this is all important
The prominence of IVF at the DNC marks a significant shift in the debate over reproductive rights, with far-reaching implications for the 2024 election and beyond. By focusing on fertility treatments, Democrats are expanding the discussion beyond abortion, potentially reaching a wider swath of voters who may not have strong views on abortion but who place a high value on family planning. They are using personal stories and emotional appeals to appeal to voters who may have experienced infertility or know someone who has. Meanwhile, Republicans, particularly Trump, are trying to strike a balance between appealing to their conservative base and avoiding alienating voters who support IVF and other fertility treatments.
“It’s really smart of the Democrats to make IVF an issue in this election campaign, because Republicans can’t really agree on whether they support it or not, and powerful anti-abortion groups generally don’t agree – many categorically oppose it and want to ban it,” said feminist author and lawyer Jill Filipovic. on X on Tuesday“So the GOP just wants to ignore the problem.”
The IVF debate is creating stark contrasts between party positions, potentially influencing swing voters and mobilizing both Democratic and Republican voters, albeit for different reasons. The emphasis on protecting access to fertility treatments makes Democrats defenders of reproductive freedom, while some Republican positions on the beginning of life raise complex legal and ethical questions about embryo rights.
An example of this divide is initiatives such as Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that proposes sweeping changes to federal agencies and policies in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 election, including federal regulation of IVF.
An unexpected result of the ongoing political debate surrounding IVF is the increasing visibility of those who have undergone fertility treatments.
“I appreciate that this election cycle has made people talk more openly about IVF,” said New York writer Ashley Reese via X on Tuesday“Shows that a lot more people do it than you think.”
