Physicians and Advocates Share Personal and Professional Testimony
NORWALK, Conn., March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Illume Fertility, a leading modern fertility practice with locations in Connecticut and New York, appeared alongside U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and other reproductive rights advocates at a press conference in Hartford on Friday to demand federal protections for infertility treatments in the wake of the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling restricting in vitro fertilization (IVF).
"As leaders in the fertility field, it is our responsibility to address misinformation, share our medical and scientific knowledge, and advocate for access to family-building care for each and every person who wants to have a child," said Dr. Mark Leondires, Illume's Founder and Medical Director. "1 in 6 people worldwide suffer from infertility, and access to treatment options like IVF is essential. My own family would not exist without IVF - for me and the millions of other Americans that need access to fertility care, this is personal."
Senator Blumenthal is calling on Congress to quickly pass the Access to Family Building Act, a bill introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) which would override state limits and establish a statutory right to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) nationwide. The Access to Family Building Act is endorsed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association.
Additionally, this week in the Connecticut General Assembly, two separate pieces of legislation, H.B. No. 5378 and H.B. No. 5240, both of which would expand access to fertility coverage in Connecticut, are being discussed in committee.
"Human reproduction is an inherently inefficient process," explained Dr. Spencer Richlin, Illume Fertility's Surgical Director and Partner. "While IVF offers patients the best chance at a healthy pregnancy, the number of eggs retrieved rarely results in an equal number of viable embryos. Furthermore, less than 50 percent of embryo transfers end up being successful." For this reason, said Dr. Richlin, it is critical to fertilize enough eggs to account for the natural attrition rate that occurs throughout the phases of in vitro fertilization.
While IVF patients in Connecticut and New York may not be currently facing direct threats, this ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court impacts fertility care providers and patients across the United States, setting legislative precedent and opening the door for additional legislation that could further strip away the reproductive rights of patients everywhere.
"This speaks to why the Access to Family Building Act, introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth, Senator Patty Murray, and U.S. Representative Susan Wild is critical to 'ensuring protection for an individual's statutory right regarding the use or disposition of their reproductive genetic materials, including gametes,'" said Lisa Rosenthal, Patient Advocate at Illume Fertility. "This isn't going to end in Alabama - we must come together and act now to protect those who need fertility treatment to build their families, regardless of the state they live in."
For more information about Illume Fertility, visit https://www.illumefertility.com/.
About Illume Fertility
Illume Fertility, formerly RMA of Connecticut, is a leading modern fertility practice providing an exceptional patient experience, innovative care, and expertise to help patients achieve their fertility and family-building goals. Led by an award-winning team of nine highly credentialed Board Certified reproductive endocrinologists, many of whom have received Castle Connolly's prestigious Top Doc award, Illume Fertility specializes in a range of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Illume Fertility's internationally recognized Gay Parents To Be program specializes in LGBTQ+ family building. For the last six years, Illume Fertility has been recognized as a Leader in Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign. Illume Fertility is one of the largest fertility clinics and egg donation centers in the region, offering egg freezing, oncofertility preservation, and PCOS management, helping patients as young as 16. Illume Fertility is the only regional fertility clinic offering on-site holistic patient support services including nutrition counseling, acupuncture, and yoga.
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Stacy Callahan, Astonish Media Group, 917-972-1101, [email protected]
SOURCE Astonish Media Group
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