The Supreme Court of the state of Alabama (USA) ruled that frozen embryos are already people, and therefore their destruction could be subject to liability. This is reported by The Washington Post.
Reproductive medicine doctors are outraged by the ruling and assure that it is "unscientific and violates the understanding of reproductive medicine."
Doctors say that other procedures for treating infertility, such as intrauterine insemination, can still be performed, but none of them is as effective as IVF. They are dissatisfied with the decision and emphasize that it demonstrates a misunderstanding of reproductive medicine. Some points, in the opinion of experts, lack scientific basis.
Also, reproductive specialists emphasized that there are a number of problematic issues. In particular, whether frozen embryos should be stored indefinitely, considering that the service is expensive. Should all embryos be transferred to the patient's uterus at once? This increases the likelihood of multiple pregnancies, which is risky for both the mother and the child.
Furthermore, failure to achieve pregnancy could lead to a wrongful death lawsuit. Doctors need insurance to cover these risks.
And at the moment, as a result of the court's decision, in vitro fertilization may either be very expensive or completely unavailable for residents of the state.
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