Fertility Experts: Governor's Veto Has Wide Impact On Range Of Women

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 25 Jul 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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The Rhode Island governor's veto of a state bill mandating insurance coverage for infertility treatment for the unmarried has a far-reaching impact on growing numbers of women whose parenting goals have been made more viable by recent advances in medical technology, say specialists at one of New England's largest fertility practices.

Governor Donald Carcieri's rejection of the legislation particularly affects three categories of infertility patients whose numbers have increased sharply in recent years: lesbian couples, professional women choosing single parenthood in their late 30s and early 40s, and a substantial group of heterosexual couples in long standing relationships but who choose not to be married.

Additionally, the move may also encourage single mothers paying for their own infertility treatment to take extra medical risks, physicians say.

"Approximately 20 percent of my patients fall into the three categories. Of those, half are unmarried heterosexual couples, 30 percent are lesbian couples and 20 percent are choosing single parenthood," said Samuel Pang, M.D., of the Reproductive Science Center of New England, which operates an infertility clinic in Providence, Rhode Island. "In about four of five cases, it's erroneous to assume a child would be born to anything other than two parents in a long-term relationship. Of the rest, more women apparently believe they face a choice of parenting alone or not at all."

Governor Carcieri said he issued the veto because the state should encourage two-parent families.

However, the governor's veto creates a catch-22 for many, Pang said. "He is saying that a woman needs to be married to get coverage, but then he is opposed to allowing same sex couples to marry."

Additionally, Pang said, women paying for their own IVF treatments often opt to have more than one fertilized egg transferred to the uterus in order to boost odds of pregnancy and avoid the cost of a second attempt. But this increases the risk of multiple pregnancies and resulting birth complications and birth defects.

About Reproductive Science Center

With eight locations throughout New England, Reproductive Science Center is the seventh largest medical practice of its kind nationwide, known coast to coast for its innovative patient care, advanced laboratory capabilities and for success rates that are among the highest in the United States. Founded in 1988, RSC is led today by a team of seven physicians -- four of whom are women, making it one of the largest groups of female reproductive endocrinologists in the Northeast. RSC is a member of IntegraMed America, an exclusive network limited to the highest performing infertility practices in larger metro areas around the United States. Nearly one out of every four IVF procedures in the United States is performed in an IntegraMed practice. For more information, visit http://www.rscnewengland.com.

Reproductive Science Center of New England
http://www.rscnewengland.com