U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) recently signed on with other Republican lawmakers in a letter asking Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General Christi Grimm to audit the safety procedures of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other reproductive protocols used in fertility clinics.
The Thursday letter, led by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), referenced the much-publicized Alabama case that led to a national headline-grabbing decision by the Alabama Supreme Court.
On Dec. 20, 2020, a patient of Mobile Infirmary crept into a fertility clinic at the hospital and took frozen embryos out of cryopreservation. The subzero temperature of the device holding the embryos caused the patient to drop it to the floor, where the embryos "began to die slowly," according to court filings.
The three families who lost their embryos claimed the hospital failed to protect their unborn children and filed wrongful death and negligence lawsuits.
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that the embryos were protected by Alabama's wrongful death act and the Alabama Constitution.
In the aftermath, Democrats have hammered Alabama's decision to further the political talking point, attempting to make so-called reproductive rights a focal point in the upcoming presidential election. This is most clearly displayed in Senate Democrats blocking legislation from U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to remove Medicaid funding from states that ban access to IVF.
The letter to Grimm referenced several other instances nationwide in which clinics allegedly cut corners at the expense of safety, pointing to cases of mothers giving birth to children not their own after clinics reportedly mixed up the embryos. The letter also referenced multiple instances of accidental embryo destruction, mislabeled embryos, and labs with faulty heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
IVF Letter by Craig Monger on Scribd
"In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is an important tool for many American mothers who want to experience the joy of childbirth," the letter reads. "Navigating the experience of needing IVF and the complex medical system in which it operates is a daunting endeavor. Mothers in this situation make a substantial emotional, financial, and personal investment, and rightly expect that fertility clinics will protect and respect human life—and keep treasured embryos safe."
The letter also asks Grimm's office to investigate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) certification and reporting actions. The letter claims the CDC has shucked its responsibility to certify individual state fertility programs, leaving patients "uninformed about the safety standards of many of these clinics."
"Women expect transparency with access to accurate pregnancy success rates and the certification status of the fertility clinics they are considering," the letter concludes. "It is unclear, however, whether CDC is implementing the law in such a manner as to maximally benefit the mothers it purportedly seeks to empower. As Congress considers legislation related to IVF, we respectfully request that HHS OIG provide an evaluation and assessment of how well ART clinic oversight is working to better enable Congress to evaluate what changes may need to be made."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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