Parenthood Through Fertility Treatments: the Importance of Biological Children and the Difficult Roads in Their Pursuit

“Choosing” Parenthood through Fertility Treatments: The Importance of Biological Children and the Difficult Roads in their Pursuit BY C2009 Ophra Leyser-Whalen Submitted to the graduate degree program in Sociology and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ________________________________ Shirley Hill, Chairperson ________________________________ Mary Zimmerman ________________________________ David Ekerdt ________________________________ Sandra Albrecht _______________________________ Ginger Breedlove Date Defended____ March 3, 2009 ________________ The Dissertation Committee for Ophra Leyser-Whalen certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: “CHOOSING” PARENTHOOD THROUGH FERTILITY TREATMENTS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN AND THE DIFFICULT ROADS IN THEIR PURSUIT Committee: ________________________________ Chairperson _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Date approved:_March 31, 2009 ___ ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my family for their support and patience in this long process. I would also like to thank Dr. Shirley Hill for her always quick turn- around of hours of reading. In memory of Hanni, my grad school cat. iii Abstract ..................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Introduction ......................................................................... 3 Background ............................................................................................... 3 My Study ................................................................................................... 4 Chapter Two: Literature Review ............................................................. 10 Introduction ............................................................................................. 10 Brief History of Parenthood ..................................................................... 10 Theories of Parenthood .......................................................................... 12 Sociobiology ........................................................................................... 13 Social Psychology ................................................................................... 16 Social/Cultural Theories .......................................................................... 18 Feminist Critique ..................................................................................... 19 Medical Sociology Theories .................................................................... 22 Structural Functionalism ......................................................................... 22 Political Economy ................................................................................... 23 Social Constructionism ........................................................................... 24 Postmodernism ....................................................................................... 25 History and Overview of Fertility Treatments .......................................... 27 Sociology Literature on Fertility Treatments ............................................ 28 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 32 Chapter Three: Research Methods ......................................................... 34 Introduction ............................................................................................. 34 iv Grounded Theory .................................................................................... 35 Sampling ................................................................................................. 38 Data Collection ....................................................................................... 48 Data Analysis .......................................................................................... 52 Chapter Four: Conceiving Parenthood and the Importance of Biology ... 61 Introduction ............................................................................................. 61 Why Do People Want Biological Children? ............................................. 62 Instinctual/Innate Desires ........................................................................ 63 Social Influences in Wanting a (Biological) Family .................................. 73 Wanting a Family .................................................................................... 74 Wanting a Biological Family .................................................................... 77 (Re)Creating a “Normal” Family with Donor Genetic Material ................. 81 “Ownership” of Biological Children .......................................................... 85 Controlling Personal Characteristics ....................................................... 87 Health ..................................................................................................... 93 Physical traits .......................................................................................... 95 Personality ............................................................................................ 100 Family-Building Alternatives .................................................................. 103 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 105 Chapter Five: Standing on Nonfertile Ground: the Infertility Diagnosis . 106 Introduction ........................................................................................... 106 The Time is Right to Get Pregnant ....................................................... 107 v Suspecting Infertility .............................................................................. 111 Initiating Contact with the Medical Community ..................................... 113 Physician Responses to the Possibility of Infertility .............................. 118 The Diagnostic Process ........................................................................ 128 Focus on Women’s Bodies ................................................................... 128 Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ............................................................... 133 What Tests To Use? ............................................................................. 135 Getting a Diagnosis: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain ................ 137 Diagnosis, the Flawed Female Body, and Women’s Burdens .............. 140 Beyond Pregnancy ............................................................................... 147 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 149 Chapter Six: (Re)Producing Pain: The Trials and Tribulations of Fertility Treatments ............................................................................................ 150 Introduction ........................................................................................... 150 Why Pursue Medical Treatment? .......................................................... 151 Physician Recommendations ................................................................ 152 Weighing their Options—a Comparison to Adoption ............................. 156 Weighing Their Options--Time and Money Factors .............................. 157 Difficult Lifestyle Adjustments and Stressors ........................................ 161 Scheduling and Disruptions of Daily Living ........................................... 162 Strained Interactions ............................................................................. 165 Relationship Stress ............................................................................... 165 vi Social Isolation ...................................................................................... 167 Treatments: Physical and Emotional Stress ......................................... 173 Treatment Side effects .......................................................................... 174 Clomid: Major Depression and other Emotional Disorders ................... 177 Ethical Decisions .................................................................................. 181 Treatment Results ................................................................................ 186 Success and Failure: Lifestyle Impact................................................... 188 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 192 Chapter Seven: Sterile Situations: Experiences with Doctors and Patient Reactions .............................................................................................. 193 Introduction ........................................................................................... 193 Types of Patient Response ................................................................... 196 Patient Complaints of Medical Treatment ............................................. 197 Impersonal Treatment ........................................................................... 197 Lack of Open Communication ............................................................... 198 Insensitivity ........................................................................................... 204 Homophobia ......................................................................................... 207 Responses

Load more