Reprogen-Ethics and the Future of Gender (eBook)

Epigraph 6
Acknowledgements 7
Contents 8
Notes on the Contributors 10
Introduction 14
Part I ART – A 30 Years Retrospective 25
Chapter 1 Current Status of Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) 26
Introduction 26
Indications of ART 26
Ovulation Induction 27
Severe Male Infertility and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection [ICSI] 28
Gamete Donation 28
In Vitro Maturation of Oocytes 29
Culture Media 29
Embryo Biopsy and PGD/PGS 30
Blastocyst Culture 31
Single Embryo Transfer 31
Ultrasound Guided Embryo Transfer 32
Endometrial Biopsy to Test Endometrial Receptivity 32
Oocytes Cryopreservation 33
Ovarian Cryopreservation and Transplantation 33
Gestational Carrier Pregnancy 34
Use of Human Embryos for Research – Stem Cells 34
Posthumous Conception 34
Conclusion 35
References 35
Chapter 2 The Medicalization of Reproduction – A 30 Year Retrospective 39
Introduction 39
Liberty, Effective Freedom and the Social Embedding of ART 40
ART and the Medicalization of Reproduction 42
Conclusion 45
References 46
Chapter 3 Conceiving a New Right to Procreate 47
Introduction 47
The Traditional View and its Shortcomings 48
The Capacity to Procreate 52
Problems of Implementation and how These can be Solved by the New Approach 55
Conclusion 59
References 59
Part II ART – Mind the Gap 63
Chapter 4 ‘Can’t Avoid It, Can’t Afford It’: Assisted Reproduction in Israel and Bulgaria 64
Introduction 64
Starting Point 65
ARTs in Bulgaria 66
ARTs in Israel 67
IVF Performance 68
Some Effects in Israel – Too Much of a Good Thing? 69
Some Effects in Bulgaria – Not Enough of a Good Thing? 69
Some Conclusions 71
References 71
Chapter 5 Assisted Reproduction in Developing Countries: The Debate at a Turning Point 74
Introduction 74
The Gender Dimension 75
ART Clinics in Developing Countries: To Be or Not to Be? 76
The Future 79
ART in Context 79
Heterogeneity of Developing Countries – One Size Does not Fit All 81
The Equity Issue 82
Conclusions 83
References 84
Chapter 6 Ethical and Socio-Cultural Aspects that Influence ART in Latin America 87
Introduction 87
Continents and Countries 88
Latin America 90
Conclusions 93
References 94
Part III Gendered Futures 96
Chapter 7 Women, Work, and Children: Is There a Solution? 97
Introduction 97
Some Personal History 98
Collected Observations 99
The Hazards of Delayed Procreation 100
The Sandwich Generation and Male Fecklessness 101
Alternative Posibilities 103
A Failure of Feminism? 103
An End to Misplaced Tolerance 105
The Importance of Early Procreation 105
Changing the Job Market 106
An Alternative Track 107
Men: The Eternal Problem 108
References 109
Chapter 8 Between Fecklessness and Selfishness: Is There a Biologically Optimal Time for Motherhood? 111
Introduction 111
The Biological Optimum and Unnecesary Risk 112
Implicit Pro-natalism 113
How the Biological Optimum is Socially Constructed 115
A Question of Degree? 116
What Kind ofWoman ‘Delays’ Pregnancy? 117
Selfishness and Mother/Child Conflict of Interest 119
Conflicting Ideologies of Motherhood 121
References 122
Chapter 9 Gendered Futures: Reproduction and Production in Women’s Lives 124
Introduction 124
What’s Going on? The Gendering of Social Life 126
Future Positive? Scenarios of Possibility 129
Conclusions: The resillience of Gendering 135
References 136
Part IV Parenting 138
Chapter 10 Is Transferred Parental Responsibility Legitimately Enforceable? 139
Context 139
Questions 139
Shortcut Attempts 141
Parental Responsibility 143
Breeders’ Pact 145
Reaching the Limit 148
Implications 150
References 152
Chapter 11 Reproduction, Responsibility and Rationality 154
Introduction: Parental Rights and Responsibilities 154
A “Minimally Satisfying Life” 155
The Best Life or a Good Life 158
Reproductive Choice 162
Conclusion 162
References 163
Chapter 12 Male or FemaleWeWill Create Them: The Ethics of Sex Selection for Non-medical Reasons 164
Introduction 164
Fears and Negative Connotations 165
Methods of Sex Selection 166
Demographic Imbalance: Real or Imagined? 169
The Fear of Stigmatization: The Feminist Argument 171
Conclusion: The Liberal View of Sex Selection 172
References 174
Part V Non-gendered Futures 177
Chapter 13 Artificial Reproductive Technologies and the Advent of the ArtificialWomb 178
Introduction 178
Neonatal Care 178
Will this Line of Treatment Persist? 179
New Developments in Gynecology and IVF 180
Developments in Embryology and the Huge Gap 181
The Human Genome Project and Stem Cell Research 181
Developments in Computer Science 182
Facing Ectogenesis 182
New Conondrums 183
Some Lessons From IVF 184
Final Remarks 185
References 185
Chapter 14 Human Before Sex? Ectogenesis as aWay to Equality 188
Introduction 188
Ectogenesis 189
Ectogenesis is in Everyone’s Interests 190
What About the Children 192
Adverse Consequences of Ectogenesis 193
Concluding Thoughts 195
References 195
Chapter 15 The Glass Womb 197
Introduction 197
A Rationale for the Bill 198
How Glass Wombs Make a Difference 201
Terminations and Glass Wombs 202
Ectogenesis and Gender 207
References 209
Chapter 16 A Survey of People’s Attitude Towards the ArtificialWomb and Ectogenesis in Israel 210
Introduction 210
Research Methods 211
Results 213
Discussion and Conclusions 215
References 217
Index 219