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October 27, 2010

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Sean Tipton, 303-228-8219
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ASRM Blasts Colorado Amendment 62; Urges Voters Reject It on November 2

Denver, CO - The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has called on the residents of Colorado to vote NO on Amendment 62 when they go to the polls November 2. Like a ballot measure defeated in 2008, Amendment 62 would give legal rights to fertilized eggs under the Colorado Constitution, and in doing so, would imperil vital medical care and eliminate or make unsafe important family building options for those suffering from infertility.

"In vitro fertilization procedures will be made less safe as patients would be forced to transfer all fertilized eggs without regard to their viability, chromosomal abnormalities or carrier status for dreadful genetic disorders," explained William Schlaff, MD, an ASRM Board Member practicing in Denver.

Schlaff delivered his comments during a press event held in conjunction with ASRM’s 66^{th Annual Meeting at the Colorado Convention Center attended by more than 6,000 obstetricians and gynecologists, urologists, reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, mental health professionals and others working in the field of reproductive medicine.}

Schlaff cited a study by one of the largest clinics in the U.S., which found that in its practice only 7.5 percent of all fertilized eggs went on to become live born children due to the fact that human reproduction is an intricate and inefficient process. The vast majority of sperm and eggs never get together to even begin the fertilization process. For those that do, an overwhelming majority of fertilized eggs do not become viable embryos, and only a small percentage of embryos thought to be viable produce a child.

Added Schlaff, "Proponents of Amendment 62 ignore the well-established biologic truths of embryo development."

The amendment would make infertility doctors and their patients liable for every embryo which fails to develop or does not result in a pregnancy despite rendering the best possible medical care.

Speaking about restrictions on access to contraceptive measures that would result under Amendment 62, ASRM Board Member and Colorado physician Nanette Santoro said, "This measure has far-reaching consequences that will jeopardize a woman's health and the care she receives from her physician. As a reproductive specialist, and as a woman, I am alarmed that this measure has re-surfaced in Colorado and am very concerned about the detrimental effect it would have on women’s health should it be approved."

ASRM President William Gibbons, MD summed up the society’s concerns: "Reproductive doctors have the utmost respect for each embryo created as part of the in vitro process. In the same year that a respected scientist can win the Nobel Prize for perfecting in vitro fertilization techniques, it is ironic that we must stand here in the middle of the United States to defend its practice and the practice of reproductive freedom."

Today the Colorado State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People formally opposed Colorado's Amendment 62, the so-called "personhood" initiative on the Nov. 2 ballot.

This is the first time the NAACP State Conference has taken a public position on initiative involving reproductive health. If passed, Amendment 62 would extend legal and constitutional rights to fertilized eggs. It would ban all abortion in Colorado, including for victims of rape, incest and when a woman's life is at risk. In addition it would ban emergency contraception and common forms of birth control, including IUD's and the Pill.

The NAACP announced its position opposing Amendment 62 during its State Conference in Colorado Springs.

"This is not about the morality, the right and wrong; this is about upholding the constitution, and a woman's constitutional right to choose," said Beatrice Madison, NAACP State Conference president. "This position is about ensuring that all women maintain the right to that choice, especially women who are low-income. Reproductive rights should not belong only to the wealthy but to all of us."

Speaking at the conference for the NO on 62 Campaign, Rev. Dawn Riley Duval called the proposal "insulting, hurtful and demeaning."

"If Amendment 62 passed, it would be an open invitation to lawyers, politicians and the courts to interfere with decisions that should be made between a woman, her family, her doctor and God," Rev. Duval said

Rape victims, and survivors of cancer and miscarriage spoke out today, sharing their personal stories to underscore the dangers of Colorado's Amendment 62 -- and its far-reaching consequences.

Amendment 62 would give full legal rights to fertilized eggs under the Colorado Constitution. It would ban abortion and emergency contraception, including for victims of rape and incest and when a woman's life is at risk. It could limit medical treatment for women with cancer, with ectopic pregnancies and who have suffered miscarriages.

Amanda, the victim of a brutal attack and rape seven years ago, noted that as many as one in four women in Colorado will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.

"Rape survivors have all their power and dignity taken from them during a vicious attack," said Amanda, during a noontime gathering at the law library in the Chancery Building in Denver. "Allowing women the choice to take emergency contraception is integral to their recovery. We, as voters, need to protect a woman's access to emergency contraceptives and Vote NO on 62."

Jennifer, also a rape survivor, had a statement read of her trauma, and her fear of being pregnant by the man who had assaulted her. Jennifer was raped in 1985, when she was 14 years old.

"Emergency contraception wasn’t available then, so I spent nearly a month living in fear that I was pregnant," Jennifer said. "I couldn’t tell anyone. And my only escape, as a 14 year-old girl, was to tell myself if I was pregnant, that I would kill myself."

Also speaking out was Beth, who suffered nine miscarriages in her efforts to have a family before her doctors were able to determine a genetic disorder was to blame.

"If Amendment 62 passes, I could have been subjected to a police investigation for every single [miscarriage]", Beth said. "If a fertilized egg is equal to a person, my miscarriages would have to be investigated as murders."

Ultimately, Beth and her husband turned to in-vitro fertilization, and now are parents to baby Grace. However, Beth noted, if Amendment 62 were to pass, the science of in-vitro fertilization would also be at risk, since not all of the fertilized eggs are implanted in a woman's uterus.

Finally, Diane spoke as a survivor of breast cancer as a young woman.

"Imagine you’ve been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, as I was," Diane said. "You’re facing chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy. And then imaging the next question out of your doctor’s mouth is, 'Is there any chance you’re carrying a fertilized egg? Because if there is, I can’t treat you.'

"Amendment 62 would make a fertilized egg equal to a person in the state of Colorado."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2010

For More Information:
Cara DeGette, 720-979-4385

Laura Chapin, 202-236-6161

NO ON 62 RELEASES TV AD: “SAME BAD IDEA WITH A NEW NUMBER”

The NO on 62 Campaign has released its first TV ad, which will begin running statewide in Colorado this week. In the ad, Dr. Kim Warner, a Denver OB- GYN, talks about the threats Amendment 62 poses to women’s health and women’s rights – and how Colorado voters have already rejected this same bad idea, now with a new number.

Amendment 62 is a deceptive, dangerous amendment that would give legal rights to fertilized eggs under the Colorado Constitution. It would ban abortion in all cases, even for victims of rape or incest, ban emergency contraception, even for victims of rape or incest, and eliminate many commonly used forms of birth control, including the pill. It would also ban the use of in-vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies for Coloradans who want to have kids, as well as restrict the use of stem-cell research.

The No on 62 Coalition is a statewide, broad-based, non-partisan coalition of doctors, nurses, faith leaders, attorneys, grassroots groups, and health care advocacy organizations. The coalition includes more than 60 Colorado groups opposed to Amendment 62.

You can watch the TV ad here:

No on 62 TV Ad - Same Bad Idea with a New Number - Dr. Kim Warner

The campaign has also begun releasing a series of web ads, which can be viewed here:

62VoteNo.org