1. United States
2. N.D.
3. Letter

House Bill 1373, known as the personhood bill, poses a grave threat to women's healthcare and reproductive rights in North Dakota. By defining life as beginning at fertilization, this bill would effectively ban common forms of contraception and outlaw critical fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). These regressive measures would strip away the ability of countless North Dakotans to plan their families and access essential reproductive care. The consequences of this bill extend far beyond the intent stated. Criminalizing IVF would cruelly deny couples struggling with infertility their chance to conceive children, causing immense emotional and financial hardship. Banning certain contraceptives raises the risk of unintended pregnancies, which can endanger both maternal and fetal health when they occur. In states where such draconian laws have taken effect, women have faced life-threatening delays and denials of care, even in cases of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. This senseless suffering cannot be allowed in our state. North Dakotans deserve to make personal reproductive choices free from government overreach. House Bill 1373 is an unconscionable attack on bodily autonomy that would have devastating impacts on our families and communities. Protecting access to the full range of reproductive healthcare services, including contraception and fertility treatments, is vital to safeguarding the wellbeing of our people. I urge you to reject this harmful legislation and defend the reproductive freedoms of all North Dakotans.