FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Dr. Robert Hunter has been practicing medicine since 2007. He's the practice director at the Kentucky Fertility Institute in Louisville. Hunter grew up in Alabama. He says the news about his home state's in vitro fertilization ruling — that embryos should be considered children — was disappointing.
He says, "You know these are the fertility centers that my friends and family have used for their own family building."
Physicians and advocates held a rally in Frankfort calling for a total repeal of abortion bans. Kentucky's state director, Tamarra Wieder, for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, was there. She says, "A lot of the abortion restrictions and the casualties of them were intentional."
When Roe was overturned, organizations like hers started to think about what that could mean for other forms of reproductive health care.
Wieder says, "There are bills currently filed in Kentucky this legislative cycle, that could further move personhood. And so when we're talking about what this means for IVF moving forward, yes, we need to be really careful about what these legislators are doing."
Dr. Hunter says around 1 in 6 couples are affected by infertility. He says IVF is rewarding to be able to provide for his patients.
"To call those patients every afternoon when the test results come in — you’re pregnant — you’ve changed their life,” says Hunter.
Kentucky lawmakers introduced House Bill 757, which wouldn't consider fertilized eggs and embryos outside of the body of human beings under state law. Dr. Hunter says he thinks there's still more work to do.
"I think we have a long way to go to really being able to provide comprehensive care that women in Kentucky and beyond deserve."
