As the 2024 presidential election looms on the horizon, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has emerged as a pivotal issue, taking center stage at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this week. The topic has gained significant traction following recent events and policy proposals, highlighting its importance in the broader landscape of reproductive rights and healthcare access.

The spotlight on IVF intensified in February when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children. This controversial decision prompted some clinics in the state to temporarily pause IVF treatments, causing widespread concern and backlash. In response to the public outcry, Alabama lawmakers swiftly passed legislation to shield IVF providers from civil or criminal liability, allowing clinics to resume treatments.

The Republican party’s position on IVF and related issues remains complex and has been complicating the party’s messaging on abortion. Many Republican policymakers, from state houses toCongress, believe that life begins at conception, arguing that fertilized eggs should be granted full rights and legal protections of human beings. The Republican National Committee’s 2024 platform, crafted in collaboration with the Trump campaign, supports states establishing fetal personhood through the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

Former President Trump, however, has taken a more moderate stance. In an April 8 video statement, Trump said abortion legislation should be left to the states and expressed support for making it “easier” for families to have babies. He specifically stated, “That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments, like IVF, in every state in America.”

Democrats have seized on the issue. After the Dobbs decision stripped away the federal right to abortion, backlash against the decision, including its potential consequences for IVF, have resulted in a wave of progressive victories. Since Dobbs came down, several states have put abortion on statewide ballots and become a central issue in key statewide races — and now at the DNC and in the presidential race.

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a powerful speech at the DNC on Tuesday, offering a scathing critique of former President Trump’s policies and their potential impact on women’s health and reproductive rights. In her address, Obama pointedly referenced her personal experience with IVF, stating, “You see, gutting our health care… taking away our freedom to control our bodies… the freedom to become a mother through IVF, like I did—those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters.”

Gov. Andy Besheaer, Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, speaking at the DNC on Tuesday, emphasized the importance of women’s reproductive freedoms, including the right to pursue IVF treatments. In his address, Beshear stated, “All women should have the freedom to make their own decisions. Freedom over their own bodies. Freedom about whether to pursue IVF. Freedom about whether to have children at all.”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Illinois

The senator delivered an passionate speech, sharing her personal story of using IVF to have her daughters after struggling with infertility. Duckworth warned that Republicans might target IVF next if they succeed in banning abortion, urging voters to protect reproductive rights. “My struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I earned on the battlefield,” declared Duckworth, who lost her legs in combat in Iraq,, emphasizing the personal nature of the issue.

Social media influencer Nabela Noor

Noor emphasized the essential nature of IVF for many women, stating, “For many women, IVF is the only choice. That choice, and more, is at stake in November.”

Gwen Walz

In a piece published in Glamour magazine this week, coinciding with the DNC, Gwen Walz, wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, shared her personal experience with fertility treatments. Walz clarified that she underwent intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatments, not in vitro fertilization (IVF), to conceive their son.

“Our fertility journey was an incredibly personal and difficult experience,” she said, in discussing the IUI treatments. “We hope other families find solace in our story.” She said a neighbor who happened to be a nurse would come help with the “shots I needed as part of the IUI process.”

Walz’s account provides a firsthand perspective on the subject, offering insight into the experiences of individuals who have utilized such medical interventions to start their families. “I am so grateful that we had access to reproductive technology,” Walz stated in the article.

The timing of this publication, during a week of heightened political attention, brings additional focus to the ongoing debate surrounding access to reproductive technologies.

Michael Tyler, Harris-Walz communications director

At a DNC media briefing on Wednesday, campaign spokespersons defended Gwen Walz’s comments in Glamour and criticized the GOP’s stance on abortion and IVF, framing Republican attacks on Walz, framing her as a liar, as insensitive to the personal struggles many Americans face with infertility.

“Frankly, I think it’s a little bizarre that JD Vance and Donald Trump want to attack the governor for experiencing something that other Americans have gone through themselves,” said Michael Tyler, Harris communications director at the press briefing.

Why it all matters

The prominence of IVF at the DNC marks a significant shift in the reproductive rights debate, with far-reaching implications for the 2024 election and beyond. By focusing on fertility treatments, Democrats are broadening the conversation beyond abortion, potentially resonating with a wider range of voters who may not have strong opinions on abortion but care deeply about family planning. They’re using personal stories and emotional appeals to connect with voters who may have experienced infertility or know someone who has. Meanwhile, Republicans, particularly Trump, are attempting to strike a balance between appealing to their conservative base and avoiding alienation of voters who support IVF and other fertility treatments.

“Making IVF an issue in this election really is smart of Democrats, because Republicans truly cannot agree on whether or not they support it and powerful anti-abortion groups generally do not — many flat-out oppose it and want it banned,” said feminist author and lawyer Jill Filipovic on X on Tuesday. “So the GOP just wants to ignore the issue.”

The IVF debate draws stark contrasts between party positions, potentially influencing swing voters and energizing both Democratic and Republican bases, albeit for different reasons. Democrats’ emphasis on protecting access to fertility treatments positions them as defenders of reproductive freedom, while some Republican stances on when life begins raise complex legal and ethical questions about the rights of embryos.

This divide is exemplified by initiatives like Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that proposes wide-ranging changes to federal agencies and policies if Republicans win in 2024, and includes regulating IVF at the federal level.

As the political discourse around IVF continues to evolve, one unexpected outcome has been the increased visibility of those who have undergone fertility treatments.

“I do appreciate that this election cycle has made people very open about having IVF,” said New York writer Ashley Reese via X on Tuesday. “Shows that a lot more people do it than you think.”