United States | Fertile ground

Will IVF really be the next frontier in America’s culture wars? 

Banning it would be political suicide. But it could get harder to find in conservative states

A rally in support of in vitro fertilization in Alabama, USA
Don’t mess with these peoplePhotograph: Charity Rachelle/The New York Times/Redux/Eyevine
|WASHINGTON, DC

Moral inconsistency is a pretty normal part of the human condition. Attitudes to in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) are a case in point. While the vast majority of Americans support access to the technology, which now accounts for over 90,000 births per year, many struggle with a key component of it: the destruction of embryos in the process. Indeed, whereas 82% of Americans believe IVF is morally acceptable, only 49% say the same about destroying excess embryos, according to recent polling by Gallup. This presents moral purists with a conundrum.

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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Fertile ground”

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From the July 6th 2024 edition

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