DOCSLIB.ORG

Procreative Technologies, Popular Media, and the Culture of Infertility

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Procreative Technologies, Popular Media, and the Culture of Infertility Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Sociology Dissertations Department of Sociology Spring 5-10-2013 From No Hope to Fertile Dreams: Procreative Technologies, Popular Media, and the Culture of Infertility Evelina W. Sterling Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/sociology_diss Recommended Citation Sterling, Evelina W., "From No Hope to Fertile Dreams: Procreative Technologies, Popular Media, and the Culture of Infertility." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2013. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/sociology_diss/68 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Sociology at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM NO HOPE TO FERTILE DREAMS: PROCREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, POPULAR MEDIA, AND THE CULTURE OF INFERTILITY by EVELINA WEIDMAN STERLING Under the Direction of Wendy S. Simonds ABSTRACT Throughout history, both popular and scholarly literature depicted infertility as a devastating experience in a woman’s life. Infertility was unbearable, filled with stigma, and a perpetual state of conflict between those who cannot have children and the rest of the world who can. Until recently as treatments for infertility developed, families assumed childlessness as hopeless. While the process of overcoming infertility is still arduous, unpleasant and unpredictable, many options are available today to overcome infertility and have children. As a result, the portrayal of involuntary childlessness and infertility especially by popular media, changed significantly over the years. Current procreative technologies encouraged families to believe that the dream of having a baby was achievable for all. Using social constructionist and feminist theories, I analyzed the culture of infertility between 1960 and 2010. I used a mixed-method approach to the historical study of the infertility culture tracing the way the public became aware of the various medical treatments for infertility. First, I utilized a modified grounded theory approach to analyze the norms, values, beliefs, attitudes, and goals pertaining to infertility and the treatment of infertility as reflected in popular magazines. Next, I interviewed six fertility specialists who practiced reproductive medicine and the treatment of infertility between 1960 and 2010 to gain their perspectives regarding how the expectations about infertility and treatments changed over time from the medical point-of-view. Finally, I analyzed data available from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s population-based National Survey of Family Growth describing public attitudes and behaviors with regard to infertility, infertility diagnoses, and the utilization of infertility treatments over all the years that the survey was conducted. Shaped heavily by issues related to power, patriarchy, gendered expectations, social stratification, and heteronormativity, the cultural story of infertility between 1960 and 2010 was much more complex and diverse than typically told by social science researchers. Overall, I found that although the increased media attention and the availability of procreative technologies changed the landscape of family building, the underlying social forces influencing decisions about procreation did not. INDEX WORDS: Infertility, Fertility, Procreation, Medicalization, Procreative technologies, Reproduction, Women’s Health FROM NO HOPE TO FERTILE DREAMS: PROCREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, POPULAR MEDIA, AND THE CULTURE OF INFERTILITY by EVELINA WEIDMAN STERLING A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2013 Copyright by Evelina Weidman Sterling 2013 FROM NO HOPE TO FERTILE DREAMS: PROCREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, POPULAR MEDIA, AND THE CULTURE OF INFERTILITY by EVELINA WEIDMAN STERLING Committee Chair: Wendy Simonds Committee: Elisabeth Burgess Ralph LaRossa Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University May 2013 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to acknowledge my own experience with infertility that brought me many unexpected opportunities and fulfilling experiences, both personally and professionally. I would like to thank my dissertation committee: Wendy—thank you for chairing my committee, for the invaluable guidance and encouragement, and especially for sparking my sociological imagination at all the right times; Ralph—thank you for teaching me that art and science of qualitative research and providing me with valuable tools that I now use each and every day; and Elisabeth—thank you for broadening my perspective to appreciate the sociological significance of every age. I could not have done this without the mentorship and support from my stellar committee. Thank you to my family for inspiring me to keep going and going and going. I am forever indebted to my husband, Dan, who selflessly allowed me the flexibility to pursue my (probably seemingly endless) intellectual goals. I am forever grateful, and I have no idea how to make it up to you. I thank my children, Ben and Ellie, for helping me balance work and home life and emphasizing what is truly important in life. I am so proud of both of you, and I now look forward to supporting you on your own exciting journeys into adulthood. Thank you to my parents, Steve and Donna Weidman, for supporting me from the very beginning and creating a home in which learning never ended. I also appreciate all the colleagues and friends I gained through my time at GSU, from classes to qualifying exams to dissertation. I could not have asked for a better program. The faculty is top-notch, and I am so honored to have learned from all of you. Thanks especially to Josie, Mark and Pam for traveling this road along with me. Without you, this research could not have been possible and certainly not as much fun. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iv LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………….……………………………………….…………………………………………ix LIST OF FIGURES....................................................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...1 1.1 Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 1.2 Importance of the Study…………………………………………………………………………………………….3 1.3 Overview of Chapters………………………………………………………………………………………………...4 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…6 2.1 The Significance of 1960-2010…………………………………………………………………………………….7 2.2 A Social and Historical Context …………………………………………………………………………………10 2.3 Social Structures……………………………………………………………………………………………………….15 2.4 Women and Procreation in the Media……………………………………………………………………...20 2.5 Media Images and Social Behavior……………………………………………………………………………22 2.6 Infertility and Culture……………………………………………………………………………………………….24 CHAPTER 3 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND METHODOGY…………………………………………………………………..28 3.1 Theoretical Background……………………………………………………………………………………………28 3.2 Popular Media Analysis—Sampling and Coding…………………………………………..……………32 3.3 Physician Interviews—Sampling and Coding……………………………………………………………..37 3.4 National Survey of Family Growth………………………………………………………………………….…38 3.5 A Mixed Methods Approach………………………………………………………………………………..……40 vi CHAPTER 4 DEFINING INFERTILITY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..43 4.1 The Occurrence of Infertility………………………………………………………………………………….….44 4.2 Causes of Infertility……………………………………………………………………………………………….….47 4.3 Age…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..58 4.4 The New Infertile………………………………………………………………………………………………….….70 4.5 The Role of Men……………………………………………………………………………………………………....75 4.6 Race and Infertility…………………………………………………………………………………………………..82 4.7 Emotional Impact and Identity………………………………………………………………………………….86 4.8 Stigma………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………93 4.9 Fertility Specialists’ Perspectives about Defining Infertility…………………………………….100 CHAPTER 5 CONTROLING FERTILITY………………………………………………………………………………………………………108 5.1 To Procreate or Not…………………………………………………………………………….………………….108 5.2 Procreative Choices………………………………………………………………………………………..………118 5.3 Medicalizing Conception…………………………………………………………………………………………121 5.4 The Business of Infertility………………………………………………….……………………………………123 5.5 Science or Miracle…………………………………………………………………………………………………..136 5.6 Devil or God…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...138 5.7 Religious Narratives……………………………………………………………………………………..…………142 5.8 The Status of Embryos…………………………………………………………………………….………………147 5.9 Fertility Specialists’ Perspectives about Controlling Fertility……………………………………152 vii CHAPTER 6 PROCREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES…………………………………….………………………………………………………160 6.1 Treating Infertility…………………………………………………………………………………………….…….165 6.2 Manipulating Biology and In Vitro Fertilization………………………………………………………170 6.3 Artificial Insemination and the Value of Sperm……………………………………………………….176 6.4 Egg Donation and Preserving Fertility…………………………………………………………………..…186 6.5 Redefining Motherhood and Surrogacy…………………………………………………………………..193 6.6 Protecting Embryos through Embryo Adoption……………………………………………………….201 6.7 What Makes a Family?.............................................................................................204
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Narcissists and Relationships 1
    Narcissists and Relationships 1 Patterns of Relationship Behaviors among Narcissists Research Thesis Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with research distinction in Psychology in the undergraduate colleges of The Ohio State University by Cheyenne Drotleff The Ohio State University April 2020 Project Advisor: Associate Professor Amy Brunell, Department of Psychology Narcissists and Relationships 2 Abstract Most of the literature studying narcissism in romantic relationships focuses on grandiose narcissists, leaving little known about how communal and vulnerable narcissists behave and perceive their relationships. This study aimed to see how each facet of narcissism differs in relationships and how experiencing power might impact relationship behaviors. Study 1 assessed various relationship variables in terms of narcissism in two samples: one consisting of a predominately older, mostly married online sample, and the other consisting of mainly younger, casually dating undergraduate students. Study 1 found that communal narcissists reported a more positive perception of their relationships and endorsed more positive behaviors in their relationships such as less attention to alternatives, less negative behaviors in response to conflict, and more commitment than that of grandiose narcissists. Vulnerable narcissists’ patterns of relationship behaviors were similar to those of grandiose narcissists by reporting more attention to alternatives, more negative accommodation and less overall satisfaction. Study 2 examined the extent to which narcissists change their responses to their relationship behaviors when they are led to believe they have power. Study 2 found that power impacted perceived closeness and led to reports of more negative behaviors in dating relationships for both communal and vulnerable narcissists but found no changes in perceived behavior for grandiose narcissists.
    [Show full text]
  • Alienation and Social Connection in the Personal Narratives of School Shooters
    I FEEL REJECTED: ALIENATION AND SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Communication, Culture and Technology By Mihika Sapru, B.A. Washington, DC April 22, 2019 Copyright 2019 by Mihika Sapru All Rights Reserved ii I FEEL REJECTED: ALIENATION AND SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS Mihika Sapru, B.A. Thesis Advisor: Leticia Bode, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The media have long perpetuated the stereotype of school shooters as disaffected loners. This has become the default narrative following an attack, even in the absence of supporting evidence. Disaffection and isolation are manifestations of social alienation–a psychosocial phenomenon. The media discourse and academic literature both suggest that social alienation in the lives of these gunmen is worthy of further exploration. This paper asks: What types of social alienation do school shooters express in their own words? Do they also express social connection, and if so, how? And finally, are there specific examples of thematic patterns and vocabulary that are used when communicating social alienation? These questions are resolved through a three-part qualitative content analysis of the personal narratives of nineteen rampage school shooters. The first part of the analysis applies a model of alienation developed by social psychologist Melvin Seeman to the corpus. This model breaks alienation into six elements: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, self-estrangement, cultural estrangement, and social isolation. The corpus is also analyzed for references to social connection in the second part of the analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • The Project Gutenberg Ebook of Malignant Self Love, by Sam Vaknin (#2 in Our Series by Sam Vaknin)
    The Project Gutenberg EBook of Malignant Self Love, by Sam Vaknin (#2 in our series by Sam Vaknin) ** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook, Details Below ** ** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ** Copyright (C) 2003 by Lidija Rangelovska. Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission. Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** Title: Malignant Self Love Author: Sam Vaknin Release Date: November, 2003 [EBook #4663] [This file was first posted on July 2, 2003] Edition: 11 Language: English Character set encoding: US-ASCII *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, MALIGNANT SELF LOVE *** Copyright (C) 2003 by Lidija Rangelovska. Malignant Self Love Narcissism Revisited 1st EDITION 3rd Revised Printing EXCERPTS Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. The Author is NOT a Mental Health Professional. The Author is certified in Counselling Techniques.
    [Show full text]
  • The “Hero Syndrome”
    The Hero Syndrome 1 THE “HERO SYNDROME” Sergeant Ben D. Cross Arkansas State Police School of Law Enforcement Supervision Session XLIII November 1, 2014 The Hero Syndrome 2 INTRODUCTION Hero, a word we all associate with accolades of praise upon an individual who has done a selfless or exemplary act. A word defined by dictionary standards as: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. (The American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition) Syndrome, a word we usually associate with a negative connotation, almost as if it were a contagious disease. A word defined by dictionary standards as: A group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease or another abnormal condition. A complex of symptoms indicating the existence of an undesirable condition or quality. A distinctive or characteristic pattern of behavior. (The American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition) The pairing of these two words to describe a condition known in the main stream media as “The Hero Syndrome” brings rise to a variety of pre-conceived notions as to the origins, facts, myths, and ultimately, the reality of what this disorder encompasses. This paper will delve into the history, current trends, investigative practices, (or lack thereof), and the detriment to the law enforcement profession when occurrences of this nature come to light. I hope to also bring stark awareness to law enforcement managers who “look the other way” and do not readily and aggressively deal with this problem head on. BACKGROUND The so called Hero Syndrome is not actually a syndrome at all.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview: Narcissistic Personality Disorder Sistic Neuroses," "Psychoses," "Dementia Precox," Scious Envy in These Patients
    12 Am J Psychiatry 139:1, Janrmry 1982 Am J Psychiatry 139:1, January 1982 SALMAN AKHTAR AND J. ANDERSON THOMSON, JR. 13 Overview: Narcissistic Personality Disorder sistic neuroses," "psychoses," "dementia precox," scious envy in these patients. Tartakoff (22) wrote of and "schizophrenia." Waelder (9) considered narcis- the Nobel Prize complex among people who are intel- sistic personality a muted variant of schizophrenia. In lectually gifted and uniformly preoccupied with the BY SALMAN AKHTAR, M.D., AND J. ANDERSON THOMSON, JR., M.D. "On Narcissism" Freud (8) avoided character typolo- pursuit of applause, wealth, power, or social prestige. gy but pointed out that some people "compel our The term "narcissistic personality disorder" was interest by the narcissistic consistency with which introduced in the literature by Kohut in 1968 (23). they manage to keep away from their ego anything that Since then Kernberg and Kohut have been the major would diminish it." In 1931 Freud (13) wrote of the theoreticians examining the concept of narcissistic "narcissistic character type," personality disorder. The authors trace the evolutior~of narcissistic personality away from it, he died of languor. Havelock Ellis (4) (A more detailed historical account of the origin of disorder as a nosological entity in rr critical slrrlJeyof the first invoked this myth to illustrate a psychological the narcissistic personality disorder was provided by state in reporting a case of male autoeroticism. In The subject's main interest is directed to self-preserva- literature, considering and comparing djfering theoreticnl tion; he is independent and not open to intimidation. His Rothstein in a publication that appeared after the viewpoints regarding the genesis of this disorder.
    [Show full text]
  • Developments and Issues 1, 1990
    Issuesin Reproductive and Genetic Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 51–69, 1990 0958-6415/90 $3.00 + .00 Printed in the USA. Copyright © 1990 Pergamon Press plc CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS AND ISSUES: A SUMMARY CYNTHIA dE WIT Linneavagen 5, S-141 41 Huddinge, Sweden and GENA COREA Institute on Women and Technology, P.O. Box 338, North Amherst, MA 01059, USA. BIRTH REGULATION Laws against “fetal abuse” which attempt to control pregnant women may Mother to be tried as “drug-pusher” be unconstitutional because they violate a following birth of her cocaine-exposed woman’s rights to due process and infant privacy, Martha A. Field, Professor of A Florida (U.S.) woman who gave Law at Harvard Law School, said at the birth to a cocaine-exposed baby in annual meeting of the American Society November 1988 has been jailed awaiting of Law and Medicine. trial on felony drug charges. “Forced cesarean sections are the most The mother, Toni Hudson, 29, gave common manifestation of movement birth to a son who tested positive for toward greater control of pregnant cocaine exposure on a urine drug screen. women,” Ob. Gyn News reported. “ . The case was reported to the state child Another potential area of enforced control abuse registry and after investigation, the of the mother concerns women who do infant was placed in foster care. not follow all of their physicians’ orders Hudson was arrested in December and during pregnancy.” charged with child abuse and possession In the widely publicized Pamela Rae and delivery of a controlled substance to a Stewart case a California woman was minor.
    [Show full text]
  • Hormones and the Female Voice: an Exploration of the Female Hormonal Cycle from Puberty to Menopause and How It Affects the Vocal Apparatus
    HORMONES AND THE FEMALE VOICE: AN EXPLORATION OF THE FEMALE HORMONAL CYCLE FROM PUBERTY TO MENOPAUSE AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE VOCAL APPARATUS A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS by Patricia Vigil July 2015 Examining Committee Members: Dr. Christine Anderson, Advisory Chair, Department of Voice and Opera Dr. Rollo Dilworth, Department of Music Education and Therapy Dr. Lawrence Indik, Department of Voice and Opera Dr. Joyce Lindorff, Department of Keyboard Studies © Copyright 2015 by Patricia Vigil All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to examine the female hormonal cycle throughout a woman’s life and its effects on the singing voice. Dealing with vocal issues brought on by hormonal fluctuations can be extremely frustrating for the professional singer, as these issues can wreak havoc on performance and practice schedules. The best weapon of defense against its unpredictability is information. Unfortunately, data on the female hormonal cycle and its effects on the voice is not covered in most standard vocal pedagogy books. Information on the subject is often relegated to a small section of a chapter, and even then usually describes only the symptoms: edema, hoarseness, and loss of high notes and power. The question as to why these symptoms happen every month and during menopause, and whether there is anything that can be done to alleviate them, remains largely unanswered. A candid discourse on the subject of hormones and the female voice has begun, but now must brought into the open.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the 2019 Abstract Book
    2019 History of Science Society ABSTRACT BOOK UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS | 23-27 JULY 2019 History of Science Society | Abstract Book | Utrecht 2019 1 "A Place for Human Inquiry": Leibniz and Christian Wolff against Lomonosov’s Mineral Science the attacks of French philosophes in Anna Graber the wake of the Great Lisbon Program in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, University of Earthquake of 1755. This paper Minnesota concludes by situating Lomonosov While polymath and first Russian in a ‘mining Enlightenment’ that member of the St. Petersburg engrossed major thinkers, Academy of Sciences Mikhail bureaucrats, and mining Lomonosov’s research interests practitioners in Central and Northern were famously broad, he began and Europe as well as Russia. ended his career as a mineral Aspects of Scientific Practice/Organization | scientist. After initial study and Global or Multilocational | 18th century work in mining science and "Atomic Spaghetti": Nuclear mineralogy, he dropped the subject, Energy and Agriculture in Italy, returning to it only 15 years later 1950s-1970s with a radically new approach. This Francesco Cassata paper asks why Lomonosov went University of Genoa (Italy) back to the subject and why his The presentation will focus on the approach to the mineral realm mutagenesis program in agriculture changed. It argues that he returned implemented by the Italian Atomic to the subject in answer to the needs Energy Commission (CNRN- of the Russian court for native CNEN), starting from 1956, through mining experts, but also, and more the establishment of a specific significantly, because from 1757 to technological and experimental his death in 1765 Lomonosov found system: the so-called “gamma field”, in mineral science an opportunity to a piece of agricultural land with a engage in some of the major debates radioisotope of Cobalt-60 at the of the Enlightenment.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientific Congress
    SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS ADVANCING REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE BUILD HEALTHY FAMILIES OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 1, 2017 INSIDE this program OPENING CEREMONY .......... 2 ASRM WELCOME. 3 COMMITTEES AND AWARDS ASRM SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS PLANNING COMMITTEES ........ 7 ASRM OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS .......... 7 ASRM COMMITTEES ............8,9 SOCIETY AWARDS ...........10-23 ASRM STAR AWARDS .........24-26 ASRM SERVICE MILESTONE AWARDS ......................26 DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY .. 27 SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE. .29-31 JOIN US FOR OUR DAILY SCHEDULE ...........32-40 CONTINUING EDUCATION/ Opening Ceremony CME SESSIONS CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION / CONTINUING EDUCATION .....43-44 Monday, October 30th, 7:45 am – 8:45 am PRE-CONGRESS COURSES ...45-66 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND Hemisfair Ballroom LEARNING OBJECTIVES. 67 ASRM 2017 CONGRESS GRID. 68 PLENARY SESSIONS .........69-74 Come hear ASRM President, Dr. Richard Paulson, discuss LECTURES .................75-77 the Society's accomplishments this year and plans for SYMPOSIA .................78-96 "Advancing Reproductive Medicine to Build Healthy Families." INTERACTIVE SESSIONS .....97-108 ADDITIONAL SESSIONS ....109-113 TRACKS .................114-126 Plenary 1 will immediately follow in the same room. SPEAKER INDEX ..........127-128 DISCLOSURES ............129-133 A complimentary continental breakfast will be available NON-CME EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS 7:00 am – 7:45 am TICKETED EVENTS .........135-138 in the ASRM 5K RUN INFORMATION .. 135 Hemisfair Ballroom Lobby EXPERT ENCOUNTERS ........ 136 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS 139-145 VIDEO SESSIONS ..........146-153 ABSTRACT REVIEW COMMITEES .............155-156 ORAL ABSTRACT PRESENTATIONS ..........157-192 POSTER ABSTRACT PRESENTATIONS ..........193-259 ABSTRACT TOPIC INDEX ...260-262 ABSTRACT AUTHOR INDEX .263-292 DISCLOSURES ............293-308 ASRM 2O17 SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS :: FINAL PROGRAM Congress attendees.
    [Show full text]
  • Ivf) Martin H
    Int. J. Dev. Biol. 63: 83-92 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.180364mj www.intjdevbiol.com A short history of in vitro fertilization (IVF) MARTIN H. JOHNSON* Anatomy School, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, UK ABSTRACT The history of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in humans from the early attempts in the USA through to the first definitive achievement of IVF by Edwards, Steptoe and Purdy (1969-1978), and the brief period of innovative IVF achievements to Melbourne, Australia, cut short by the passage of restrictive legislation (1979-1984) is recorded. A summary of the key achievements since the mid 1980s is then given. The shameful connotations of engaging in IVF of those early days is contrasted with its wide acceptance today, in which IVF is setting the norms for modern families. KEY WORDS: IVF, history, Edwards, Steptoe, Purdy Introduction oviducts of recipient mice and in some cases went on to produce viable male and female 17.5 day fetuses that were genetically The history of mammalian IVF begins in 1930s USA, when Pin- distinct from the host mother (Whittingham, 1968). During the cus famously, but controversially, claimed to have produced rabbit 1950s and 60s, a small number of scientists continued to pursue off-spring after fertilizing rabbit eggs in vitro (Pincus and Enzmann, the elusive and controversial goal of IVF in humans (e.g. Petrov, 1934). Later, Rock and his research collaborator Miriam Menkin 1958; Petrucci, 1961; Hayashi, 1963; Yang, 1963). Among these experimented on both fertilized and unfertilized eggs retrieved from was Landrum Shettles, a gynaecologist at Columbia University patients during surgery, and in 1944 claimed the fertilization and who claimed to replicate the techniques of Rock and Menkin in a cleavage in vitro of three human ova (Rock and Menkin, 1944).
    [Show full text]
  • Article Cryotop Vitrification of Human Oocytes Results in High Survival Rate and Healthy Deliveries
    RBMOnline - Vol 14 No 1. 2007 72-79 Reproductive BioMedicine Online; www.rbmonline.com/Article/2548 on web 23 November 2006 Article Cryotop vitrifi cation of human oocytes results in high survival rate and healthy deliveries Monica Antinori graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 2001 from the University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy and then completed her residency there in 2006 in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. During the latter part of her residency she was particularly involved in clinical and research activity in minimally invasive surgery. She has actively participated in the publication of trials on male infertility and pregnancy in menopausal women. Currently she is part of the medical staff of the Assisted Reproduction Centre RAPRUI, in Rome. Her research areas are in-vitro embryology linked to clinical application, embryo implantation and hysteroscopy. Dr Monica Antinori Monica Antinori1, Emanuele Licata, Gianluca Dani, Fabrizio Cerusico, Caterina Versaci, Severino Antinori RAPRUI (International Associated Research Institute for Human Reproduction Infertility Unit) Day Hospital, Via Timavo No. 2, Rome, Italy 1Correspondence: e-mail: [email protected] Abstract Vitrifi cation, an ultra-rapid cooling technique, offers a new perspective in attempts to develop an optimal cryopreservation procedure for human oocytes and embryos. To further evaluate this method for human oocytes, 796 mature oocytes (metaphase II) were collected from 120 volunteers. Since Italian legislation allows the fertilization of a maximum of only three oocytes per woman, there were 463 supernumerary oocytes; instead of being discarded, they were vitrifi ed. When, in subsequent cycles, these oocytes were utilized, 328 out of 330 (99.4%) oocytes survived the warming procedure.
    [Show full text]
  • For Birth Control
    The Birth Control Movement and American Society The Birth Control Movement and American Society From Private Vice to Public Virtue With a New Preface on the Relationship between Historical Scholarship and Feminist Issues JAMES HEED Princeton University Press / Princeton, N.J. Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey Copyright © 1978 by James W. Reed Preface to the Princeton Edition, Copyright © 1983 by James W. Reed ALL RIGHTS RESERVED First Basic Books edition, 1978 First Princeton Paperback printing, 1984 LCC 83-60459 ISBN 0-691-09404-7 / ISBN 0-691-02830-3 (pbk.) The author wishes to thank the following for permission to quote from the sources listed: Houghton Library, American Birth Control League Papers; Richard Gamble and Countway Library, Clarence J. Gamble Papers; Dorothy Dickinson Barbour and Countway Library, Robert L. Dickinson Papers; Sophia Smith Collection, Margaret Sanger Papers and Dorothy Brush Papers; Countway Library, Norman Himes Papers; the Schlesinger Library, Transcript of Interviews with Emily H. Mudd; Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., Emma Goldman, Living My Life © 1934; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., Mary McCarthy, The Group © 1954; T. S. Eliot, "Difficulties of a Statesman" in Collected Poems, 1909-1962, © 1936 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.; © 1963, 1964 by T. S. Eliot. Reprinted with permission of the publishers. Qothbound editions of Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
    [Show full text]