What Is an Embryo in a Post-Roe World?

For Becky Alprin, embryos are like acorns. While they could become children one day, it's obvious they aren't yet. For MD Sitzes, they're a spark—igniting the beginning of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. For Megan Castro, embryos are packets of genetic information, opportunities to help others suffering through the infertility she once faced. For Erica Freeman, it doesn't matter that an embryo is hardly more than a clump of cells. To her, it's still a child.

These earliest beginnings of life hold a multitude of possibilities and no guarantees. They can be created through sex or in a lab and later transferred into the womb. They can be frozen for years and later thawed. However they came to be, once the embryos are in the uterus—and if they implant successfully —they can then grow and divide, eventually becoming fetuses, and one day, emerging into the world as newborn children. Or they might not. They might fail to thaw properly or fail to implant, or there might be abnormalities in their chromosomes that hamper development and cause a miscarriage.

In the United States, embryos exist in a strange moral, emotional, and legal gray area. Legally, these cells can be considered property, though traditionally, it's been illegal to buy and sell them—a legal precedent that has been up for debate in recent years. When embryos are donated, the Food and Drug Administration regulates these exchanges just like other kinds of human tissue. But, as the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's ethics committee notes, these entities hold "special significance," because unlike other pieces of our bodies—like blood, skin, or bone marrow—these donations have the potential to become a person.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, this ambivalence has taken on new, heightened importance.

View in Browser  In the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, this ambivalence has taken on new, heightened importance." title="For Becky Alprin, embryos are like acorns. While they could become children one day, it's obvious they aren't yet. For MD Sitzes, they're a spark—igniting the beginning of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. For Megan Castro, embryos are packets of genetic information, opportunities to help others suffering through the infertility she once faced. For Erica Freeman, it doesn't matter that an embryo is hardly more than a clump of cells. To her, it's still a child. These earliest beginnings of life hold a multitude of possibilities and no guarantees. They can be created through sex or in a lab and later transferred into the womb. They can be frozen for years and later thawed. However they came to be, once the embryos are in the uterus—and if they implant successfully —they can then grow and divide, eventually becoming fetuses, and one day, emerging into the world as newborn children. Or they might not. They might fail to thaw properly or fail to implant, or there might be abnormalities in their chromosomes that hamper development and cause a miscarriage. In the United States, embryos exist in a strange moral, emotional, and legal gray area. Legally, these cells can be considered property, though traditionally, it's been illegal to buy and sell them—a legal precedent that has been up for debate in recent years. When embryos are donated, the Food and Drug Administration regulates these exchanges just like other kinds of human tissue. But, as the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's ethics committee notes, these entities hold "special significance," because unlike other pieces of our bodies—like blood, skin, or bone marrow—these donations have the potential to become a person. In the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, this ambivalence has taken on new, heightened importance."> What Is an Embryo in a Post-Roe World? For Becky Alprin, embryos are like acorns. While they could become children one day, it's obvious they aren't yet. For MD Sitzes, they're a spark—igniting the beginning of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. For Megan Castro, embryos are packets of genetic information, opportunities to help others suffering through the infertility she once faced. For Erica Freeman, it doesn't matter that an embryo is hardly more than a clump of cells. To her, it's still a child. These earliest beginnings of life hold a multitude of possibilities and no guarantees. They can be created through sex or in a lab and later transferred into the womb. They can be frozen for years and later thawed. However they came to be, once the embryos are in the uterus—and if they implant successfully —they can then grow and divide, eventually becoming fetuses, and one day, emerging into the world as newborn children. Or they might not. They might fail to thaw properly or fail to implant, or there might be abnormalities in their chromosomes that hamper development and cause a miscarriage. In the United States, embryos exist in a strange moral, emotional, and legal gray area. Legally, these cells can be considered property, though traditionally, it's been illegal to buy and sell them—a legal precedent that has been up for debate in recent years. When embryos are donated, the Food and Drug Administration regulates these exchanges just like other kinds of human tissue. But, as the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's ethics committee notes, these entities hold "special significance," because unlike other pieces of our bodies—like blood, skin, or bone marrow—these donations have the potential to become a person. In the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, this ambivalence has taken on new, heightened importance. READ MORE   Kate Middleton Attends Rugby World Cup Draped In Diamonds She recently shared why she teaches her kids about good sportsmanship. READ MORE   Everything to Know About 'Virgin River' Season 5 Part 2 In case you've already binged part one. READ MORE Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet Seen at NYFW Dinner Together She was his plus one at the fashion event. READ MORE   Bobbi Brown Takes a New Direction With Jones Road She built and empire and left it. Now she's doing it all over again. READ MORE   All About Charlie Puth's Fiancée Brooke Sansone They grew up in the same town. READ MORE Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection ELLE.com ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019