Poland investigates religious textbook over controversial IVF claims

The Polish Ministry of Education is reviewing a 7th-grade religious textbook titled ‘Szczęśliwi, którzy czynią dobro’ (Blessed are those who do good) following complaints from parents and advocacy groups. The controversy centers on passages regarding in vitro fertilization (IVF) that claim the procedure has negative health impacts on women and states that ‘during IVF, conceived children are killed.’

Ewa Daros from the OliEdu Foundation, which prompted the ministry's intervention, criticized the text for presenting an ideological rather than medical description of the procedure. She noted that the content places students in a position where they must justify IVF as an evil act. The foundation has sought medical assessments to challenge the textbook's claims.

The controversy arises as the Polish government actively funds IVF through a state program launched in June 2024. According to the Ministry of Health, this program has facilitated the birth of 17,474 children as of August 31, 2026.