This week, the Alabama state Supreme Court issued a ruling that frozen embryos are children, which could have lasting consequences for IVF care, other reproductive health care and research, and potentially result in increased criminalization of pregnant people.

Nourbese Flint, President of All* Above All, shared the following statement with The Grio in response:

“Not only does granting legal rights to embryos interfere with IVF, it creates a legal nightmare and could result in bans on birth control, stem cell research, and interrogating people for their actions while pregnant. And we know who is more likely to be targets of criminalization—Black and Brown pregnant people. Alabama officials and prosecutors are notorious for punishing people for the outcomes of their pregnancies, and this ruling signals a disturbing and dangerous development in their attempts to control people’s decisions.”