Kari Lake calls IVF treatment “UVF” during Senate debate.

Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake referred to IVF — short for in vitro fertilization — as “UVF” several times Wednesday night.

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“I want to make sure UVF is protected,” Lake said during her only debate against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), the Democratic nominee.

“I have a lot of friends who are here, they are my friends today because of UVF,” Lake continued. “And I have many of my friends who have had children and experienced the joy of motherhood and parenthood thanks to UVF.”

Lake and Gallego are vying to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).

During her only term in the Senate, Sinema made headlines for forcing concessions on President Joe Biden’s sweeping economic bill, and soon after publicly quit the Democratic Party to become an independent. She announced in March that she would not run for re-election.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently rates the open seat as “lean” Democratic. Recent polls show Lake consistently trailing Gallego by an average of eight points.

Lake’s “UVF” gaffe comes amid a growing divide within the Republican Party, between anti-abortion Republicans who champion mainstream fertility treatment and those who don’t.

President Donald Trump pledged in August to protect access to IVF and said that if elected, his administration would require insurance companies to cover the treatment, which costs between $15,000 and $30,000 out-of-pocket for a single cycle can cost.

“Under the Trump administration, we will pay for this treatment,” Trump told NBC News, adding, “We will make the insurance company pay.”

Trump’s comments supporting IVF sparked a firestorm of criticism from abortion opponents who oppose freezing or throwing away embryos, which is common in the treatment.

A February court decision in Alabama declaring that frozen embryos have the same rights as children led fertility clinics to suspend IVF treatments because they feared they could be sued by patients. The ruling was met with strong backlash and prompted the state parliament to grant IVF clinics legal immunity.

It was that initial ruling that sparked much of the concern over IVF protection — and it is what Trump credits with bringing the issue to his attention.

A longtime Trump ally, Lake’s policy positions generally align with those of the former president.

But her misrepresentation of IVF is causing a stir online, with some accusing her of repeating talking points without understanding them.

“She’s paid to repeat nonsense she doesn’t understand or she’s actually that stupid,” one person wrote. “Some combinations are also possible.”

“She doesn’t even know what she’s talking about,” criticized another person.

“Looks like she cares about this issue and thinks about it often,” another sarcastically swiped.

“You’re laughing, but UVF (Ultimate Viking Frisbee) is a time-honored tradition in Arizona,” another person joked.

IVF access continues to be very popular. A Pew Research survey earlier this year found that seven in 10 adults believe access to treatment is a “good thing,” while just 8% think it’s a bad thing.

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