Protecting IVF is Essential for Black Communities

Today, the Senate failed to pass the Right to IVF Act. In response, Dr. Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice, released the following statement:

“Reproductive Justice is about having the freedom to choose if, when, and how to start a family, and when access to IVF is threatened, we’re not able to fully control our own reproductive futures. The Senate’s decision to block the Right to IVF Act is yet another example of our lawmakers imposing personal ideology over science rather than prioritizing the rights and needs of families. Black women are twice as likely to experience infertility as white women and face barriers that already make them less likely to receive treatment for infertility. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a key part of Black communities’ decisions to start families, especially as Black people have a higher risk of pregnancy complications and a higher likelihood of miscarriage.

Access to IVF treatments should not only be protected but should be available and affordable for everyone, especially Black people with the capacity to become pregnant who face the biggest hurdles in receiving specialized care. Time and time again we have seen our leaders fail when it comes to ensuring our reproductive health and bodily autonomy. From the Right to Contraception Act failing last week to IVF falling into legal limbo earlier this year in Alabama, it’s clear that we need to take action to make sure our representatives prioritize us. The decision to start or not start a family must remain one we make ourselves.”

###

In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.