IVF has strong bipartisan support in Tennessee, Vanderbilt poll shows

Erin McCullough
·1 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee voters across party lines view in vitro fertilization (IVF) favorably, according to the latest poll from Vanderbilt University.

The semiannual poll, released Wednesday, May 22, showed people across party lines support IVF, despite strict laws on abortion that some believed may put IVF in peril following an Alabama Supreme Court ruling related to the procedure.

The high court in Tennessee’s southern neighbor ruled all embryos created through IVF should be treated as children, adding chaos to the state’s abortion ban and fertility clinics.

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According to the poll, 82% of Tennessee registered voters said IVF should be legal. There were strong majorities regardless of political affiliation, leading with Democrats at 94%, followed by Independents at 85%, then non-MAGA Republicans at 80% and MAGA Republicans at 69%.

“This widespread support should give the state legislature and the governor a reason to be more active on the IVF issue,” said Poll Co-director John Greer. “It’s clear that voters, regardless of party affiliation, want this option to remain legal.”

The overarching support for the legality of IVF may be buoyed by the lack of strong views about whether the technique has moral implications, the poll showed. More than half of all survey respondents—58%—believe IVF is not a moral issue, with 29% believing it is morally acceptable and 10% saying they think it is morally wrong.

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Along those lines, a clear majority (58%) of respondents reported thinking IVF is acceptable to allow same-sex parents to have a child, and 65% of respondents say unused embryos should not be considered children.

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