Since President Trump signed an executive order to study how to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and make it more affordable on February 18, the issue has garnered national attention. Two days after the executive order was signed, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement in response, noting that “the IVF industry treats human beings like products and freezes or kills millions of children who are not selected for transfer to a womb or do not survive.”
To address common questions about IVF from the Catholic perspective, the USCCB has now published the three-page handout “A Catholic Primer on In Vitro Fertilization”. The document explains, among other things, what IVF is, why it’s wrong, what are some acceptable medical treatments for couples struggling with infertility, and what additional Church resources are available. You can read the document here.