XP: "very important for ladies with if and those who want to support us! please read!"

caseyw8784

Cross posting from TTGP

I saw this on their board today and I figured that we all have a vested interest in this subject, I would post it here too...


"Hello all,

If the personhood bills are your jam, I respect your religion and your right to your opinion, but you might want to skip this thread. 

I attended a local civic fair today to learn some things about my community and meet my legislators. My local chapter of resolve.org was there and I talked for some time with the organizer (who had her beautiful daughter through surrogacy). There is an advocacy day on May 18 and I may head to DC with them, or at least help in some way. In the meantime, they gave me information on what we can do to STOP two bills (H.R. 586 and H.R. 681) that aim to undermine access to safe and reliable infertility medical treatments.

Essentially - the way these bills are worded will pretty much outlaw IVF and surrogacy. Once sperm meets egg, it would be illegal to do absolutely anything to the embryo, including transfer, genetic testing, ICSI, and disposal of unused embryos. **THESE BILLS HAVE LEGS. In the past, it was almost a given they would die in sub-committee, but not in our current situation. 

Look up your representative (https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/) and CALL IN, EMAIL, or WRITE this letter:"



Dear Rep,

I am your constituent and I care about (OR: I AM ONE OF) the 7.3 million people (NSFG, CDC) living with infertility. I urge you to oppose H.R. 586 and H.R. 681, "To provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization." These bills have dangerous unintended consequences that will interfere with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and make it harder for any American who struggles to have a child gain access to safe and effective medical treatment. Today, 1 out of every 100 births in the U.S. is from assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as IVF. 

By equating microscopic embryos with born human beings, H.R. 586 and H.R. 681 have implications that pose a serious threat to infertility treatment. If microscopic fertilized eggs/embryos are deemed as human life, anything that puts and embryo at risk could be a violation of the law, even if its goal is the undeniable social good of helping someone have a baby. 

It is unclear at this time precisely which assisted reproduction technology (ART) procedures would be deemed illegal because of their possible risks to an embryo, but we believe the legal uncertainties stemming from the proposed bill would make it difficult or impossible for fertility doctors to treat patients at all using ART. This law would also drastically change the practice of cryopreservation (freezing of embryos not currently needed for treatment) in ways that would drastically reduce patients' options and could even pit embryos against their own progenitors. Cancer patients rely upon embryo cryopreservation to preserve their fertility before cancer treatments.

H.R 586 and H.R. 681 would prevent couples from being able to have families. I urge you to show that you are pro-family, and vote against H.R. 586 and H.R. 681.

For more information, please contact RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association at info@resolve.org.

Sincerely,
Your name 
Your zip code

liljoy-2

These bills would deny transfer to the uterus???? Doesn't make sense, then the "person" embryo will not survive. 

caseyw8784

@bestofjoy - from what I've read about these bills (admittedly, haven't read a lot) is that this is a much more extreme version of the "heart" bill (where life begins with the heartbeat and some congressmen are trying to get that to be the abortion cut-off.) These bills would make it that "life" begins at fertilization, so the critics are worried that there will be a landslide/grey area where biopsying, freezing, etc an embryo would be considered "reckless" or "endangerment." I think a lot of people are just worried that if this passes, then it'll open the door for a lot more that would hurt IVF treatments. (Example, a Tennessee congressman introduced a bill that would label a child made from ART illegitimate, even if the parents are married and both consenting adults...)

NandJ4Ever

How horrible. As if people needing IF treatment don't have enough to stress about already. Thankfully I live just an hour from the Canadian boarder as a back up plan but will def be voicing my concerns about this. What do you want to bet the people introducing this bill have a lovely family and never had trouble getting pregnant... they need to keep their personal beliefs out of medical treatment. With all the other issues going on lately hopefully this bill will just get overlooked and pushed to the side. Gosh what is happening to this country. 

manders85-2

caseyw8784 for posting this sample letter. I just wrote my representative! 

sugarhead-2

Thanks for the heads up