Trump's executive order on IVF sparks debate over ethics and effectiveness

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order on in vitro fertilization (IVF), fulfilling a campaign promise to expand access to the procedure. The order, signed on February 18, aims to protect IVF access and reduce treatment costs. However, this move has sparked concerns among Catholic Church officials and experts who warn it may lead to the destruction of embryonic human life without significantly increasing birth rates.

The White House statement quoted Trump saying, "We want more babies, to put it very nicely." Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, responded by stating that expanding IVF access could result in the abandonment or death of millions of embryos and involve taxpayers in what he described as a serious moral injustice.

IVF involves fertilizing an egg outside the body, a practice opposed by the Catholic Church due to ethical concerns. Father Tad Pacholczyk from the National Catholic Bioethics Center highlighted that many Catholics are unaware of church teachings against IVF.

According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2021, out of over 413,000 artificial reproductive technology cycles recorded, only 112,088 resulted in pregnancy with 97,128 live births. Fertility clinics often create multiple embryos per cycle but most do not result in live births due to what is termed "IVF attrition."

Lyman Stone from the Institute for Family Studies expressed skepticism about a potential IVF baby boom. He noted that IVF procedures primarily involve first births for older women and often lead people to delay fertility decisions.

Patrick T. Brown from the Ethics and Public Policy Center estimated that covering IVF costs could amount to $55 billion over ten years if funded by taxpayer money. Timothy P. Carney from the American Enterprise Institute raised questions about coverage criteria such as age limits and marital status requirements.

Father Pacholczyk warned that any mandate forcing insurers or employers to subsidize IVF would be immoral and infringe on religious freedoms.

Trump's stance on IVF complicates his relationship with pro-life voters and Catholics who oppose practices leading to embryo destruction. Bishop Burbidge suggested alternative actions like encouraging earlier marriage and addressing pregnancy-related expenses without harming human life.

Kimberley Heatherington reported this story for OSV News with contributions from Peter Jesserer Smith.