What is IVF? Explaining the procedure in Alabama's controversial Supreme Court ruling.
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created during in-vitro fertilization are legally protected like any other child sent panic through medical communities. Now, doctors are aiming to clear up misconceptions about what the fertility procedure actually involves.
"When Roe fell, many of us in the field of OB/Gyn knew immediately that IVF and birth control were at risk as well," gynecologist Karen Tang, M.D., tells USA TODAY. "This is because there is such misinformation about how they work. ... Lack of understanding of the science and facts behind reproductive health have led to terrible consequences and the dismantling of reproductive rights."
Alabama lawmakers cited Christian beliefs and a ruling from the Alabama Constitution. Their constitution protects unborn children, which from a legal standpoint typically refers to a fetus in utero.
"They don't have the scientific understanding of what the consequences of their actions could be," adds Tang, author of the upcoming book “It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)." "The knee-jerk reaction of calling embryos children has now prevented many people in Alabama from being able to have the children they desperately want."
Since the ruling, Google searches for IVF, or in-vitro fertilization, have reached an all-time high on the search engine. Here's what a board-certified gynecologist wants you to know about some of the top-searched questions about IVF.
What is IVF?
IVF stand for in-vitro fertilization. It's a medical procedure that combines eggs and sperm in a lab dish before transferring the fertilized eggs into the uterus, according to Yale Medicine.
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How is IVF done?
The process of IVF begins with patients taking medication to stimulate ovary follicle growth, according to Tang. Doctors then conduct a procedure to retrieve those eggs, during which they put the patient under anesthesia and use a long, thin needle that's inserted through the vagina.
Following the procedure, medical professionals will fertilize the eggs with sperm. Then the "resulting embryos are grown and evaluated for appearance and quality," Tang says. In some cases they're tested genetically, such as if one of the patients is a carrier for a serious medical condition or if they've experienced several miscarriages. Then, the "highest quality embryos are then transferred into the uterus," she says.
In Graphics: A step-by-step guide to IVF.
Why can't doctors create and transfer one embryo at a time to avoid having to store or discard embryos? It's all about giving patients their best chance at getting pregnant, Tang says.
IVF is not only a costly procedure, but one that puts "significant physical stresses on the body," she adds. "Since eggs and embryos may be poor quality, and oftentimes embryos may not develop or survive, if you only harvested one egg at a time, you would likely end up with no embryos or no usable embryos."
Why would a person need IVF?
IVF can be used to address several infertility struggles, according to Tang. It can be an option for patients who have scarred or blocked fallopian tubes caused by endometriosis or past infections. It can also be helpful in cases when the patient's partner has a low or abnormal sperm count.
"IVF also provides the highest chance of successful pregnancy of all the reproductive technologies and may be recommended for couples who have not had success with less invasive treatments like insemination or for female patients who are in their 40s," Tang says.
I'm single at 35 and want a family. This decision brought an immense amount of relief.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is IVF? Alabama embryo ruling procedure explained