We Can Do Better Than IVF

At first glance, President Trump’s recent executive order expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) may appear to be a victory for couples struggling to conceive. Yet, what many do not realize is that IVF is not a cure for infertility. It is a costly, ethically compromising, high-risk intervention with limited data that sidesteps the root causes of reproductive-health challenges.

Rather than address the underlying medical issues that prevent conception, IVF acts as a Band-Aid solution, artificially fertilizing eggs outside the womb in a laboratory. Meanwhile, existing treatments that are safer, more effective, and more affordable help couples conceive naturally while improving their overall health. Consistent with the Trump administration’s policies of strengthening American families and their health, it should prioritize making these cost-effective superior treatments widely available.

JO

About the Author

John Oertle

John Oertle, chief medical officer of Solidarity HealthShare, is an expert in precision genomic medicine.

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At first glance, President Trump’s recent executive order expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) may appear to be a victory for couples struggling to conceive. Yet, what many do not realize is that IVF is not a cure for infertility. It is a costly, ethically compromising, high-risk intervention with limited data that sidesteps the root causes of reproductive-health challenges.

Rather than address the underlying medical issues that prevent conception, IVF acts as a Band-Aid solution, artificially fertilizing eggs outside the womb in a laboratory. Meanwhile, existing treatments that are safer, more effective, and more affordable help couples conceive naturally while improving their overall health. Consistent with the Trump administration’s policies of strengthening American families and their health, it should prioritize making these cost-effective superior treatments widely available.