FARGO -- A new bill introduced in the North Dakota Legislature is already drawing intense debate over its potential implications for reproductive health, particularly in relation to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

House Bill 1373, co-sponsored by state Sen. David Clemens, R-West Fargo, seeks to define an unborn baby as a human being, with life beginning at fertilization. This definition would influence how certain criminal offenses, including murder, are applied to unborn children.

While proponents of the bill argue that it protects the rights of the unborn, others, including Fargo resident Shauna Erickson-Abou Zahr, are voicing concerns about its unintended consequences.

Erickson-Abou Zahr used IVF treatments to conceive after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She now has a year-old daughter, Nadia, but fears the bill could limit the ability of others to pursue similar paths to parenthood. "If something like this were to pass, we'd be burning out the hope light that so many people have in debuting into parenthood," she said.

Clemens explained that his support stems from the belief that unborn children should be treated as human beings under the law, particularly when it comes to crimes such as murder. However, he admitted he had not considered how the bill might impact IVF treatments.

Erickson-Abou Zahr and others argue that defining life as beginning at fertilization could lead to legal challenges to IVF procedures, which often involve the creation and freezing of embryos that may not be implanted.

"It's truly one of the most sacred privileges that I've ever had in my life, being able to look at my own child and know that despite cancer and despite all this hardship, we were able to build a family the way that we were intended to," said Erickson-Abou Zahr.

Another bill being proposed in the North Dakota legislation would protect access to fertility related health care. House Bill 1477 is sponsored by State Representative Karla Rose Hanson, of Fargo.