why roe might lead to less babies, not more

a conversation with the egg whisperer

When I wrote about men rushing to get vasectomies as a response to extreme abortion bans, my favorite part was realizing that this was probably the opposite of what any right-wing justice wanted when they gutted women’s constitutional right to bodily autonomy. Anti-choice agents have a lot of maniacal goals with regressive laws, but one they’re the most unapologetic about is that they want people to have more babies, super white Christian ones preferably. But anti-abortion lawmakers might be disappointed with the unintended consequences of their choices. It’s not just that more men are now getting vasectomies, it’s that a lot of women might just opt out of motherhood all together.

Fertility doctors whose jobs is to help women have children are worried that the Republican iron-fisted approach is creating an environment that’s hostile to women who actually want kids. Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh, or more widely known as the “egg whisperer” on Instagram, is one of those concerned medical providers. She’s not just a highly regarded and trusted fertility doctor, she’s a bonafide expert on all things related to egg freezing, IVF and reproductive empowerment. We connected over video chat last week after Roe fell and she answered a lot of my most urgent questions. After our call I followed up with her to make sure I could share some of her wisdom with you, too. And if you have any burning questions that are left unanswered, she devotes a chunk of her time to responding to them in a segment she calls "Ask The Egg Whisperer" so you can go to her website and ask away!

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh

Liz Plank: Roe being overturned doesn’t just impact women’s ability to terminate a pregnancy, it also will impact their ability to have a pregnancy altogether, which oddly enough was probably not what the anti-abortion movement had in mind. Can you explain how women’s choices and options when it comes to their fertility might be curtailed now that roe has fallen? 

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh: Reproductive restrictions could affect the ability to freeze and store embryos in some states. This is a cornerstone of IVF and makes it possible for people to test their embryos. PGT-A technology requires embryos to be frozen and later implanted. If we are no longer able to freeze embryos, this limits our ability to test the embryos for chromosomal abnormalities. This can lead to abnormal embryos being implanted resulting in miscarriages. Roe v Wade being overturned greatly limits a woman’s choice if she does have a miscarriage or has an abnormal pregnancy. 

My other concern is around our ability to discard embryos. I worry that embryos already created will not be allowed to be discarded in certain states. I don't foresee a situation where people will be forced to donate their embryos to another family but I do see a situation like is seen in some countries where people can only fertilize a certain number of eggs because of strict laws preventing unused embryos being stored. 

I predict that women over 35 will be too scared to try to get pregnant in certain states because they will worry that they will be forced to carry an abnormal pregnancy to term and this is not a risk that they would be willing to take. 

Liz Plank: So are you saying that all these anti-abortion efforts could actually mean that some women may end up having less children, not more? Isn’t that ironic?

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh: This is true! Women often want to freeze embryos so they are able to have healthy babies as they age. If this is not an option women will not be able to preserve their fertility and their child bearing window will be more limited.

I think we'll see pregnancies in women over 35 especially over 40 decline in the states affected by Roe. 

I predict there will be interstate IVF tourism and even more international IVF tourism because of Roe. Women will not risk doing IVF in states where their freedom to make decisions about their own embryos will be curtailed. 

I see egg freezing becoming more popular in women in Roe affected states. While egg freezing is trending among reproductive aged women throughout the country, I think roe will cause women to be more proactive about preserving their young eggs so they have a lower likelihood of needing to terminate an unhealthy pregnancy when they're ready to start their families if they choose to start their family over 40 for example. 

Liz Plank: Many of the trigger laws and abortion bans that are  going into effect like the one currently in Arkansas, defines life starting at fertilization which could effectively ban IVF and other fertility treatments. Many anti-choice legislators are saying this is nuts and that they won’t ban IVF. Do you believe them? 

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh: I believe that IVF will continue unaffected in states like California. I believe the restrictions could definitely affect IVF in states that are trying to pass fetal personhood laws. The same people who think a woman should die in childbirth to delivery a non-viable pregnancy are the same people that think even egg freezing is anti-Christian and un-Godly. There are people that believe that the only way a baby should be created  is from heterosexual sex. Anything else to them is an abomination. These same people believe even egg freezing is against their religion. They are going to try to come after everything. All the ways reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists help people have babies, they are coming after. I see them trying but not succeeding. People need fertility specialists more than ever now to help them.

Liz Plank: Are women worried? Do you have clients who hate being personally impacted by this? How are they feeling? 

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh: Yes. I have dozens of patients contacting us daily asking how this will affect their fertility journey. I also have new patient requests from other states that want to urgently move their embryos to California where reproductive rights are protected. Many of our patients are understandably anxious because their fertility rights are being threatened. 

Liz Plank: What about egg freezing? Could it also become illegal under these strict laws? It feels like people keep telling us we’re being over dramatic, but are we?

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh: From what we have seen so far, it seems that fertilization is the key point that is being discussed. Freezing eggs before they are fertilized should not be affected. However, we can not know for sure what each state will decide. I have received amazingly hateful letters and social media posts from a specific religious group telling me that I will be going to hell for freezing a woman's eggs over the years. That same group I imagine would celebrate the Supreme Court decision. Despite what I imagine these groups would want, I don't think that egg freezing will ever be outlawed or legislated. 

Liz Plank: We’ve witnessed a wave of absurd comments made by anti-abortion politicians like the idea that women can control their “intake of semen” (we cannot) or that women can’t get pregnant from rape (we can). As a doctor and provider of women’s health care how does it feel to see elected officials who aren’t experts or medical professionals make arbitrary laws based on uninformed and sexist falsehoods? 

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh: It is disappointing that educated adults do not have an understanding of female anatomy or conception. This is a core issue that needs to be addressed by sex education in schools from a young age. It continues to surprise me when laws are made based on false information with no scientific evidence. As a women’s healthcare provider I teach as much as possible and share free resources to the public for their education as well. My goal is for all people to have a solid understanding of both male and female anatomy, conception, fertility, and their options for fertility preservation. When a woman gets pregnant, she should know all the things that could possibly happen to her in this post-Roe world. I predict that in affected states, more people who are actively trying to conceive may take a pause will opt to do IVF with PGT-A instead of taking a risk of having an abnormal pregnancy. I predict this is a trend we will see more in women over the age of 35. 

I hope you enjoyed Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh’s words and while we are on the topic of the importance of sex education, my sweet friend Chelsey Goodan is working to help girls get access to it and has organized a fantastic sex-ed workshop for young ladies aged 18-21. It features the the iconic Sex With Emily Podcast iconic host Emily Morse and the legendary Pamela Madsen. I will pay for your ticket if you know a girl who wants to go! Just leave us a comment below! And as if that’s not enough, Chelsey is also organizing a benefit for a Call to Men to help boys and men champion positive masculinity and I’m on the hosting committee so please drop a comment if you would like to attend or support with a donation.

More than ever, I want Airplane Mode to be a space that’s focussed on solutions and community-building. I’m seeing a lot of people spiraling and taking it out on each other (even when they’re on the same team!) but I’m purposely tapping out of those fights and channelling the limited energy and resources that I have into constructive conversations that are about drawing attention to solutions, not just the problems with the solutions.

So before you leave a negative comment on someone’s social media post, whether they’re a long-time activist of first-time activist, whether they have one million followers, or just a handful, think about the outcome you are hoping to get from this interaction you’re choosing to enter in. Is your comment meant to help them or prove something about yourself? Is this post really meant for you or perhaps it is meant for someone else who isn’t as far in their journey and needs a different framing than the one you desire or need? When are you more prone to being self-righteous and what other painful feelings could that masking? Part of it is isn’t even your fault because these platforms were created to heighten our negativity bias. How can we work to create more spaces to have disagreements in person so that we’re not having them on platforms that were created to heighten and make money off our conflict?

What are your social media hygiene tips to make sure you’re helping instead of hurting yourself or others in your interactions online? I know I’ve failed at having productive conversations online one million times over. I’m still learning and I hope we can continue to grow together too.

Thanks for being part of our community. I’m so glad you’re here.