J.D. Vance’s ‘worrisome’ anti-IVF stance

CHICAGO --- Former president Donald Trump’s vice president pick U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance in June voted against the Right to IVF Act, which would have protected accessibility and affordability of in vitro fertilization (IVF) services nationwide. Northwestern University fertility expert says IVF should be the one thing all politicians can agree on.

“The fact that he voted against the Right to IVF Act is very telling and very worrisome. IVF is fundamentally ‘pro-life’ in that it helps couples have children that would otherwise not be born,” said Dr. Eve Feinberg, associate professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a Northwestern Medicine physician and is a director at large on the board of directors for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Media interested in interviewing Dr. Feinberg should email Kristin Samuelson at ksamuelson@northwestern.edu.

“I feel like there’s a war on women more so than there’s a war on abortion,” Feinberg said. “We’re now talking about women’s ability to receive medical care that can be lifesaving or life promoting. On both ends of the reproductive spectrum, there are threats to women. But make no mistake, restricting IVF is also an infringement on male reproductive rights.

“The center of religion is to be fruitful and multiply; it’s one of the Ten Commandments. Having children is such a fundamental part of being human. You have one in six couples who can’t achieve that without medical assistance, and IVF is the most successful therapy. If couples are unable to receive the care they need and want, to me that’s very scary.

“A million babies are born in the U.S. every year by IVF. I would argue every person has a family member or friend who has done IVF to help build a family. The implications of this are far-reaching.”