Fertility patients are beginning to move their frozen embryos to states that protect abortion access out of fears that the Supreme Court's June 24 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will leave them without choices, The 19th reported July 14.
Most reproductive endocrinologists recommend not moving embryos until the implications of abortion regulations on in-vitro fertilization are more clear, Robert Hunter, MD, told one of his patients at the fertlity clinic he runs in Louisville, Ky.
Lora Shahine, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Seattle-based Pacific NW Fertility, told The 19th every single one of her patients has had similar questions, and she is also fielding requests from out-of-state patients. While she wants to help every patient, she said it's a matter of logistics.
"We have to get together as a clinic and think, 'How many of these patients can we accommodate?'" Dr. Shahine said. "The more outside of the state we are accommodating, the less people here in Seattle who want our care are going to be able to get our care. How do we balance that?"
Stephanie Gustin, MD, medical director at the Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine in Omaha, Neb., told The 19th she's been in touch with cryopreservation companies, who told her they intend to transport embryos if legislation limits physicians' handling abilities.