(Washington, D.C.): Recently, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced the Reproductive Empowerment and Support through Optimal Restoration (RESTORE) Act to help resolve the growing infertility crisis in America, which approximately 15 percent of couples face.
Americans United for Life (AUL) does not take a formal organizational position on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and recognizes that IVF–when practiced within ethical lines that avoid the destruction of human life—can promote family formation. While many couples turn to IVF following an emotionally laden diagnosis of infertility, this can cost couples thousands of dollars and often involves ethically questionable means that leave children frozen in their embryonic state to be abandoned or destroyed.
Restorative reproductive medicine (RRM) is not only much less costly for couples, but also more effective to achieve pregnancy in a shorter amount of time.
Passing the RESTORE Act will expand the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) research initiatives regarding reproductive health conditions, work to expand access to RRM, and promote educational initiatives to bring public awareness to this method of treating the increasing infertility crisis.
Brad Kehr, Government Affairs Director with Americans United for Life, emphasized the need for this legislation, stating, “Instead of immediately resorting to IVF, this bill encourages women to focus on and treat the potential underlying causes of infertility. While IVF focuses on the symptoms of infertility, Restorative Reproductive Medicine focuses on the causes. By passing the RESTORE Act, we help women restore healthy fertility and alleviate the sometimes-unethical and always-expensive practices involved in IVF.”
AUL stands behind the RESTORE Act and urges Congress to pass this legislation as it addresses the increasing infertility crisis and supports growing American families.
For more information or to arrange an interview with AUL, contact Gavin Oxley at press@aul.org or 202-987-3321.
Since 1971, Americans United for Life (AUL) has advanced the human right to life in culture, law, and policy by equipping advocates and lawmakers with the facts and strategies that change hearts and minds and protect human life. The first national pro-life organization in the country, AUL is a nonprofit, public-interest law and policy organization with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
