Fertility treatment has quietly become a political schism in the US. Some pro-lifers say they’ll turn to Kamala Harris — even though her rival claims he’ll offer IVF for free
Louise Callaghan in Birmingham, Alabama Saturday September 07 2024, 6.20pm BST, The Sunday Times
When Mary Leah and Rodney Miller started trying to conceive through IVF, they prayed that the days spent at hospital appointments, the endless expense, the medication and the needles would eventually help them start the family they dreamed of. The couple, both successful lawyers in Alabama, considered themselves pro-life, conservative and devout.
To them, the idea of fertilising an egg in a laboratory wasn’t an easy ethical decision. They believed that life began at conception, and that the embryos they created through IVF were alive. Because of that, they didn’t want to discard their unused embryos — usually a standard part of the IVF process.
