Shocking claims have emerged alleging that the number of lives lost during the IVF process now surpasses the number of abortions in the United States. The article argues that as IVF cycles rise, so too do embryo losses, with a substantial portion of embryos not progressing to birth. These assertions rely on data from fertility clinics and industry groups, and they compare IVF-related losses to abortion statistics from 2023.
In 2023, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) reported 432,641 IVF cycles conducted at 371 reporting clinics. Despite this activity, 95,860 babies were born from IVF, representing a modest year-over-year increase. The article notes that an estimated 1,946,884 embryos did not survive to implantation, and an additional 1,759,664 embryos were frozen, destroyed, donated for research, or released for embryo adoption.
For context, abortion statistics cited in the piece indicate 1,037,000 abortions in the United States in 2023, according to Guttmacher Institute data referenced in the article.
The narrative proceeds to explain the IVF pipeline. It describes an average of 10–12 embryos created per cycle in some sources, with clinics or fertility companies reporting a range from seven to 17 embryos per cycle. Using a conservative estimate of nine embryos per cycle, the article calculates roughly 3,893,769 embryos created in 2023 across the 432,641 cycles, contrasted with 95,860 live births.
The article then breaks down the fate of embryos. It suggests that up to half of original embryos do not survive beyond early stages such as the blastocyst stage or genetic testing, with those not deemed viable being discarded. The figure cited is about 1,946,884 embryos that did not proceed to implantation or birth. Of the remaining embryos, some were banked for future use, while others were ultimately not implanted or were miscarried, destroyed, donated to research, or released for embryo adoption. The piece estimates that about 1.9 million embryos died before implantation and about 1.7 million are not statistically accounted for in the available data.
Supporters of the abortion statistic maintain that 1,037,880 abortions occurred in 2023, providing a basis for the comparison used in the article.
The piece concludes with a normative assertion about IVF, arguing that the high rate of embryo loss challenges the characterization of IVF as merely creating life and suggests a broader ethical critique regarding how embryos are valued within the process.
Conclusion
- IVF cycles rose in 2023, yet the number of live births from IVF grew at a slower pace.
- Large numbers of embryos do not reach implantation; many are destroyed, frozen, or used for research.
- Comparisons are drawn between IVF-related embryo loss and abortion statistics for the same year.
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