Not just another attack on reproductive rights, the decision could also have devastating implications for people seeking IVF or other assisted reproductive technology treatments. The ruling does not ban or restrict IVF, but the decision may cause confusion about whether some aspects of IVF are legal under Alabama law.

“So far, three IVF providers in Alabama have suspended IVF services,” Tess Cosad, fertility expert and co-founder at Béa Fertility, tells Stylist. “Ultimately, they’re doing this to protect both their patients and clinicians from prosecution should anything happen to an embryo that compromises it.”

But this is not just a one-off: Cosad is clear that other states in the US will soon follow suit.

The Alabama supreme court has ruled that frozen embryos are considered “children”