WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� In March, after an Alabama court halted in vitro fertilization procedures in the state, Minnesota Gov. decided to speak about his struggle to have children with his wife, Gwen. The same month, his team sent a fundraising email titled 鈥渙ur IVF journey鈥� sharing an article that referenced 鈥渉is family's IVF journey鈥� in the headline.
And earlier this month, Walz criticized Ohio Sen. , the Republican candidate for vice president, by saying, 鈥淚f it was up to him, I wouldn鈥檛 have a family because of IVF.鈥�
In introducing himself to voters as Democratic presidential nominee 鈥� running mate, Walz has made his family鈥檚 struggle with fertility a central part of his narrative, a tangible way to connect with voters alarmed at the erosion of reproductive rights in the U.S. But Gwen Walz on Tuesday issued a statement that detailed the experience more comprehensively and disclosed that they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI.
IUI is often attempted before IVF but doesn鈥檛 face the same level of political controversy because it doesn鈥檛 risk destroying unused embryos that anti-abortion advocates say equate to unborn children.
鈥淟ike so many who have experienced these challenges, we kept it largely to ourselves at the time 鈥� not even sharing the details with our wonderful and close family,鈥� Gwen Walz said in the statement. 鈥淪he was a nurse and helped me with the shots I needed as part of the IUI process."
Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson, defended Walz鈥檚 comments and denied that he had been misleading.
鈥淕overnor Walz talks how normal people talk,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e was using commonly understood shorthand for fertility treatments.鈥�
Vance branded Walz a liar over his previous remarks on IVF.
鈥淭oday it came out that Tim Walz had lied about having a family via IVF. Who lies about something like that?鈥� Vance wrote on social media.
The discrepancy on what is considered a deeply personal topic for many families comes as Republicans have been scrambling to poke holes in his biography. He has also faced scrutiny over how he's characterized his time in the military, though his supporters reject any criticism as politically motivated.
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos could be considered children under state law. IVF procedures were temporarily halted, shocking people who were trying to become parents and injecting an emotionally sensitive issue into the national debate over reproductive rights.
Walz brought up the issue during his State of the State address in March. He did not specifically say that his wife underwent IVF treatment, but he did say the Alabama ruling was a 鈥渄irect attack on my children.鈥�
鈥淎ll we wanted was something that seemed so simple 鈥� to have that child,鈥� Walz said at the time. 鈥淲hat those judges did was a direct attack on our family.鈥�
IUI involves placing a partner's or donor's sperm in the uterus at the time of ovulation. , a woman's eggs are removed from her body, combined with the sperm and then transferred back into her uterus.
A couple's approach to fertility treatments can differ based on their medical issues and insurance coverage, which sometimes requires attempting IUI before moving toward IVF.
Dr. Jason Griffith, a reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility-Houston, said some patients are confused about the terms when they start treatment. They 鈥渃ome in and say, 鈥極h, I want to do IVF,'" he said.
鈥淎nd you start talking about that, and it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃ait, that鈥檚 not what I thought it was 鈥� where you just put the sperm into the uterus,鈥� And you have to say, 鈥榃ell, no, that鈥檚 intrauterine insemination,'" Griffith added.
Dr. John Storment, a reproductive endocrinologist in Lafayette, Louisiana, said it's the patients' husbands who often get confused.
Storment added that he doesn't think IUI is under threat at all. "With an IUI, you鈥檙e just putting sperm into the uterus and hoping that natural fertilization occurs,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he only people who really don鈥檛 do IUI are the devout Catholics. 鈥� They want to conceive naturally or not at all.鈥�
Mini Timmaraju, head of Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as NARAL, contended that Republicans' efforts to limit abortion, contraception and IVF would have ripple effects that would harm access to procedures like IUI as well. NARAL has endorsed Harris for president.
In talking about their struggle, she said, the Walzes had 鈥減ut a human face on the struggle with infertility.鈥�
Rachel Aplikowski, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus who said she did both IUI and IVF to conceive, said on social media that Walz 鈥渘eeds to apologize personally for exaggerating their struggles.鈥�
Amanda Zurawski, who spoke from the convention stage on Monday about her dangerous experience with Texas abortion restrictions, said 鈥渋t鈥檚 absolutely disgusting鈥� to suggest that the Walzes鈥� experience was not as difficult as others who used a different procedure to conceive.
鈥淭he world of infertility is so isolating,鈥� said Zurawski, who has used IVF. 鈥淎nd when you find people who have gone through anything similar, that鈥檚 a community that you want to be a part of.鈥�
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Ungar reported from Louisville, Ky. Associated Press writer Amanda Seitz in Washington contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to fix reference to Griffith as 鈥渉e,鈥� not 鈥渟he.鈥�
Chris Megerian And Laura Ungar, The Associated Press
