As threat to IVF looms in Alabama, patients over 35 or with serious diseases worry for their futures

By LAURA UNGAR
AP Science Writer

Women over 35 and those facing serious diseases like cancer, lupus and sickle cell are among the most likely to turn to IVF to build the families they desperately want. But in Alabama, they are among those whose dreams are in limbo after three of the state’s largest clinics paused IVF services. That happened in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling that described frozen embryos as “extrauterine children.” Doctors say the ruling has made an already difficult situation worse for these women. They hope that recent legislative efforts can protect Alabama clinics but worry that threats to IVF may emerge in other states.