FACT CHECK: No, Michelle Obama Using IVF To Give Birth Doesn’t Mean She Is Transgender

A post on Instagram implies that because former First Lady Michelle Obama used In vitro fertilization (IVF) to get pregnant, that means she is actually transgender.

Verdict: False

Michelle Obama is not transgender, and using IVF is a natural way for a woman to conceive.

Fact Check:

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has been the target of conspiracy theories for many years, with most of them claiming that she is actually a man. One famous example is when the late comedienne Joan Rivers called her transgender, another one claims that the Obamas were involved in their personal chef’s murder.

A post on Instagram takes this one step further. It shows a clip of a speech Obama gave at the 2024 Democratic National Convention where she is warning attendees about the potential loss of bodily autonomy, followed by a mention about how she became a mother using the IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) method. The video has a man on the side stoically reacting, and after Obama’s speech, it cuts to a Google search AI result block that subtly mentions how IVF can be used by transgender people.

The implication that Obama’s IVF usage proves her transgender status is false, however. That method of fertility treatment is used in traditional marriages and relationships, with 2.5% of all babies born in the United States born in that manner according to WebMD. (RELATED: Did Judge Jeanine Pirro Criticize Trump Over Pardons On Fox News’ ‘The Five?’)

Furthermore, for IVF to be effective, one of the potential parents would have to possess a uterus. Since the fertilized eggs, aka embryos, must be placed in a uterus to develop, only people born female will have the chance to get pregnant this way. Michelle Obama has never denied being born female.

There is currently no known way for a person born male to become pregnant. This story was first reported by Lead Stories.