After court ruling

Artificial insemination now protected in Alabama

In the US state of Alabama, it was decided two weeks ago that frozen embryos are to be regarded as children. Another law has now been passed to protect employees in fertility clinics from lawsuits in future.

The bills provide for civil and criminal immunity and were passed in both chambers, as can be seen on the official website of the parliament on Thursday. Governor Kay Ivey still has to sign the new law. Previously, more than 150 in vitro fertilization patients had gathered to demand legal artificial insemination (see video above). In this process, egg cells are fertilized outside the woman's body in a test tube and the fertilized embryo is then implanted in the uterus.

As reported, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled two weeks ago on the basis of a law dating back to 1872 that frozen children are to be regarded as embryos. In the case, three couples sued a clinic after their frozen embryos were dropped and destroyed by a patient. As a result, several facilities announced that they would stop in vitro fertilization for the time being. 

Abortions prohibited
The protection of unborn life has been a contentious issue in the USA for decades. A year and a half ago, the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide basic right to abortion, which had been in place since 1973. In ultra-conservative Alabama, abortions have been banned or at least severely restricted ever since.

Democrats have made the right to abortion part of their election campaign. However, the court decision on embryos was also criticized by numerous Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.