F&S Reports Publishes Editorial Piece on the Unscientific Nature of the Arguments for “Restorative Reproductive Medicine” and Why We Need to Understand Them
August 21, 2025
For immediate release
Dr. Paulson explains how the Heritage Foundation, which became widely known as the architect of Project 2025, is reigniting opposition to IVF based on the belief that embryos are human beings with legal rights. Moreover, the Heritage Foundation fails to admit that arguments in support of RRM are rooted in their own religious beliefs rather than science—making them more dangerous.
“The authors do not admit that their conclusions are based on their faith. Instead, they claim that their conclusions are scientifically accurate, use misleading language that implies that mainstream medicine is flawed and that patients need to be ‘restored.’ They ignore the irrefutable evidence that simple fertility treatment cannot bypass severe male factor infertility, or produce a pregnancy in a woman without functional fallopian tubes,” writes Paulson.
The editorial warns that allowing religious doctrine or political agendas to dictate medical standards endangers not only patients facing infertility but also the broader principle that medical care should be determined by what is safe, effective, and evidence-based. For example, the author highlights:
- RRM’s assertion that “infertility is not a disease” directly contradicts long-standing medical consensus and serves to delegitimize patient experiences and treatment needs.
- Politicization of reproductive health through faith-based ideology risks distorting public health policy and denying patients access to life-changing medical care.
“As physicians and scientists, our duty is to uphold the integrity of medical care by defending it against ideologically driven distortions masquerading as science,” Dr. Paulson writes. “‘Restorative Reproductive Medicine’ is not a novel clinical paradigm—it is an unscientific, politically motivated rejection of modern reproductive science.”
F&S Reports is part of the Fertility and Sterility family of journals and an official journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
For almost a century, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has been the global leader in multidisciplinary reproductive medicine research, ethical practice, and education. ASRM impacts reproductive care and science worldwide by creating funding opportunities for advancing reproduction research and discovery, by providing evidence-based education and public health information, and by advocating for reproductive health care professionals and the patients they serve. With members in more than 100 countries, the Society is headquartered in Washington, DC, with additional operations in Birmingham, AL. www.asrm.org
For media inquiries regarding this press release contact:
Sean Tipton
ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer
E: stipton@asrm.org
Anna Hovey
Advocacy Engagement Specialist
E: ahovey@asrm.org
J. Benjamin Younger Office of Public Affairs
726 7th St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
Tel: (202) 863-2494
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F&S Reports Publishes Editorial Piece on the Unscientific Nature of the Arguments for “Restorative Reproductive Medicine” and Why We Need to Understand Them
F&S Reports editorial critiques “Restorative Reproductive Medicine” as unscientific, faith-driven, and a threat to evidence-based IVF care and reproductive rights.
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