One of eight IVF clinics in Alabama announced that it would shut its doors at the beginning of 2025 and stop accepting patients on Sept. 5 after 20 years in business.
Huntsville Reproductive Medicine, P.C.’s Dr. Andrew J. Harper wrote in a Facebook post that the facility would continue to support patients throughout the transition period and more information would become available later.
The amount of time that the clinic will remain open will allow for all current patients to complete their treatments before the beginning of the year.
“We are grateful for the trust you have placed in us over the years, and we are committed to ensuring that you have the support you need during this time,” Harper wrote. “Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey.”
Earlier this year, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in a wrongful death lawsuit that frozen embryos were granted the same rights as children after frozen embryos were dropped and destroyed at an IVF clinic in Mobile. The ruling garnered nationwide panic and criticism.
Shortly after, the state legislature passed a bill to protect IVF clinics from civil and criminal liabilities and Gov. Kay Ivey promptly signed it. However, according to the Alabama Constitution states that legislation cannot be retroactively applied to active cases.
Protecting IVF has been on the forefront for federal lawmakers this summer, ahead of the election. While there are hopes of passing federal protection for IVF, party members on either side of the aisle have utilized the topic as more of a way to put each other’s vote on record publicly.
