A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that a majority of Republican voters and those who lean Republican believe that human life begins at conception, making an embryo a person with rights. The survey found that 53 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaners strongly or moderately agree with this statement, while 21 percent somewhat agree, and 25 percent do not agree. This belief among Republicans is significantly higher than the overall opinion of Americans, with only 35 percent of Americans agreeing that embryos are people with rights.
Conversely, Democrats are much less likely to view embryos as people with rights, with only 18 percent of Democrats and Democrat-leaners strongly or moderately agreeing with the statement. This difference in opinion has been highlighted in the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are considered unborn children under state law.
The ruling sparked debates and pressure campaigns among Republicans and Democrats, with Democrats using it as part of their pro-abortion and reproductive health campaign, while Republicans, who generally believe in the sanctity of life beginning at conception, have been urged to support IVF despite the moral and ethical complexities surrounding the process.
Former President Donald Trump has expressed support for IVF, advocating for policies that make it easier for mothers and families to have children. In response to the Alabama ruling, the Alabama Legislature passed “IVF fix” legislation providing immunity to IVF clinics for any harm to embryos.
While the Pew Research survey shows a majority of Republicans and a third of Americans consider embryos to be people with rights, other polls have shown mixed support for applying personhood to embryos. Overall, there is widespread support for keeping IVF legal for women, with the majority of Americans in favor of maintaining this option.
