"Trying" Times

Medicalization, Intent, and Ambiguity in the Definition of Infertility

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2278124
AutoresArthur L Greil (0000-0002-3101-0055, Alfred University), Julia Mcquillan (0000-0003-3653-9174, Institute of Sociology)
Ano2010
Volume24
Fascículo2
Páginas137-156
Data de publicação2010-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoMedical Anthropology Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0745-5194 • E-ISSN: 1548-1387
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1548-1387.2010.01094.x
PMID20550090
OpenAlexW2115855443
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas26
Referências citadas53

Researchers studying infertility from the perspective of anthropology and other the social sciences seldom examine the assumptions embedded in the biomedical definition of infertility. Implicit in the biomedical definition is the assumption that people can be divided straightforwardly into those who are trying to conceive and those who are not trying to conceive. If being infertile implies "intent to conceive," we must recognize that there are various degrees of intent and that the line between the fertile and the infertile is not as sharp as is usually imagined. Drawing on structured interview data collected from a random sample of Midwestern U.S. women and from qualitative interviews, we demonstrate that that there is a wide range of intent among those classified as infertile according to the biomedical definition. We explore the implications of this for research

Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Philosophy · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies