Abortion abolitionists protest outside of an IVF clinic in Texas.

Sarah McCammon for NPR

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Sarah McCammon for NPR

Abortion abolitionists protest outside of an IVF clinic in Texas.

Sarah McCammon for NPR

In the last few years, more than a dozen states have enacted laws that ban almost all abortions. Some include exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. But a small, vocal group of anti-abortion activists say even these exceptions are morally wrong. They want to see a ban not only on all abortions but also on some fertility treatments, including IVF. They believe an embryo deserves the same rights as any human.

On this episode of The Sunday Story from Up First, NPR’s Sarah McCammon takes us to a protest outside an IVF clinic and talks to activists who call themselves “abortion abolitionists.” These activists say their goal is to turn their beliefs into policy and are heartened by the progress they’ve made.

This episode was produced by Justine Yan and edited by Jenny Schmidt and Megan Pratz. It was engineered by Gilly Moon.

We’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at TheSundayStory@npr.org.

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