Regulating Reproductive Medicine in a World without Roe

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision has unleashed a wave of state level abortion bans and ignited debates over the legal status of embryos and fetuses. This perspective examines how the elimination of Roe v. Wade’s constitutional protections enables states to redefine "potential life," with far reaching consequences:

• Fetal Personhood Laws: States may equate fetal rights with those of pregnant individuals, potentially mandating nonconsensual C sections or criminalizing miscarriage management.

• IVF and Embryo Disposition: Embryos could gain legal personhood, restricting options like donation to research or destruction (e.g., Arizona’s law prioritizes embryos’ "development to birth").

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision has unleashed a wave of state level abortion bans and ignited debates over the legal status of embryos and fetuses. This perspective examines how the elimination of Roe v. Wade’s constitutional protections enables states to redefine "potential life," with far reaching consequences:

• Fetal Personhood Laws: States may equate fetal rights with those of pregnant individuals, potentially mandating nonconsensual C sections or criminalizing miscarriage management.

• IVF and Embryo Disposition: Embryos could gain legal personhood, restricting options like donation to research or destruction (e.g., Arizona’s law prioritizes embryos’ "development to birth").