Choice, Gift, or Patriarchal Bargain? Women's Consent to In Vitro Fertilization in Male Infertility
Abstract
This paper explores the reasons why women who are themselves fertile might consent to undergo in vitro fertilization (1VF) with an infertile male partner. The reasons often given are desire to have that particular man's child, or altruism, giving a gift to the partner. Although ethically, the decision should be completely woman's prerogative, because IVF programs usually treat the couple as a unit, she may be offered few other options by the medical staff. In social terms, whether the woman is or is not infertile may be immaterial because in either situation, if she wants to try to have a biological child and maintain the relationship, she may have to make a patriarchal bargain and undergo in vitro fertilization.
Citing Literature
Number of times cited: 24
- Alisa Von Hagel and Daniela Mansbach, The Regulation of Exploitation, International Feminist Journal of Politics, 18, 2, (190), (2016).
- Ann V. Bell, The margins of medicalization: Diversity and context through the case of infertility, Social Science & Medicine, 156, (39), (2016).
- Ann V. Bell, Overcoming (and Maintaining) Reproductive Difference: Similarities in the Gendered Experience of Infertility, Qualitative Sociology, 38, 4, (439), (2015).
- Ya'arit Bokek-Cohen, The golden cage of sperm banking industry, Women's Studies International Forum, 53, (107), (2015).
- Sarah Franklin, Conception through a looking glass: the paradox of IVF, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 27, 6, (747), (2013).
- Katie Gentile, The Business of Being Made: Exploring the Production of Temporalities in Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 14, 4, (255), (2013).
- Marcia C. Inhorn, Globalization and gametes: reproductive ‘tourism,’ Islamic bioethics, and Middle Eastern modernity, Anthropology & Medicine, 18, 1, (87), (2011).
- Sarah Franklin, Revisiting Reprotech: Firestone and the Question of Technology, Further Adventures of the Dialectic of Sex, 10.1057/9780230109995_3, (29-60), (2010).
- Lenka Slepičková, Couples undergoing infertility treatment in the Czech Republic: Broad range of possibilities in a traditional milieu, Social Theory & Health, 8, 2, (151), (2010).
- Tsipy Ivry and Elly Teman, Expectant Israeli Fathers and the Medicalized Pregnancy: Ambivalent Compliance and Critical Pragmatism, Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 32, 3, (358), (2008).
- Marcia C. Inhorn, Masculinity, Reproduction, and Male Infertility Surgery in the Middle East, Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, 3, 3, (1), (2007).
- Marcia C. Inhorn, Masturbation, Semen Collection and Men's IVF Experiences: Anxieties in the Muslim World, Body & Society, 13, 3, (37), (2007).
- Kristine Freeark, Elinor B. Rosenberg, Jane Bornstein, Debra Jozefowicz‐Simbeni, Michael Linkevich and Kelly Lohnes, Gender Differences and Dynamics Shaping the Adoption Life Cycle: Review of the Literature and Recommendations, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75, 1, (86-101), (2010).
- MARCIA C. INHORN, Middle Eastern Masculinities in the Age of New Reproductive Technologies: Male Infertility and Stigma in Egypt and Lebanon, Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 18, 2, (162-182), (2008).
- Maili Malin, Good, Bad and Troublesome, European Journal of Women's Studies, 10, 3, (301), (2003).
- Orly Benjamin and Hila Ha'elyon, Rewriting fertilization: Trust, pain, and exit points, Women's Studies International Forum, 25, 6, (667), (2002).
- M Sandelowski, Culture, conceptive technology, and nursing, International Journal of Nursing Studies, 36, 1, (13), (1999).
- Mike Lloyd, The Language of Reproduction: Is it Doctored?, Qualitative Health Research, 7, 2, (184), (1997).
- Arthur L. Greil, Infertility and psychological distress: A critical review of the literature, Social Science & Medicine, 45, 11, (1679), (1997).
- MARGARETE SANDELOWSKI, On Infertility, Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 23, 9, (749-752), (2006).
- MARGARETE SANDELOWSKI, SEPARATE, BUT LESS UNEQUAL:, Gender & Society, 8, 2, (230), (1994).
- JUDITH LORBER and LAKSHMI BANDLAMUDI, THE DYNAMICS OF MARITAL BARGAINING IN MALE INFERTILITY, Gender & Society, 7, 1, (32), (1993).
- Jennifer Strickler, The new reproductive technology: problem or solution?, Sociology of Health & Illness, 14, 1, (111-132), (2008).
- SHARYN ROACH ANLEU, SURROGACY:, Gender & Society, 6, 1, (30), (1992).
