Embryo personhood, once on the margins of abortion debates, is moving closer to the center

July 20, 2026

image of an oocyte being fertilized with a needle

(The Conversation) – In my 2023 book, “Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics,” I show how embryo adoption developed as a Christian pro-life response to the accumulation of embryos remaining after IVF, recasting embryos as vulnerable children requiring rescue. Once a fringe view even among anti-abortion activists, that claim is now moving closer to the mainstream of reproductive politics. (Read More)