ANTHRO 128B Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: In Vitro Fertilisation, Epigenetics, Crispr
How do technologies of the body affect the
experience of (in)fertility?
What is somatic reductionism?
An awareness of the effects of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, and pharmaceuticals on a
developing baby changes the experience of pregnancy and motherhood
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Placenta as a toxic environment
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Breastmilk as a toxic nourishment
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Woman who is pregnant must look after herself, no regulatory agencies able to stop
these chemicals from being in environment
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Toxins, pregnancy and personal responsibility?
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Internal environmentalism
Millions of reproductive-aged men worldwide that are estimated to be infertile
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Impairment that Is deeply hidden
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Can be a stigmatizing and potentially emasculating condition
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Technologies designed to overcome it often add additional layers of stigma and cultural
complexity
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Social consequences for marriage and family life
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Environmental toxins (leaded gasoline, pesticides, heavy metals)
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Lack of environmental and worker protections
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War (depleted uranium)
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Smoking
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Infections
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Stress (economic uncertainties)
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Lack of nutritious food during critical periods of adolescent development
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STDs
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Causes for infertility
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Male infertility
Paternity linked to masculine identity
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Personal failure, humiliating, emasculating
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Challenges religious doctrines
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Interpretations of religious mortalities
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Man wants to find younger woman who can have child with him --> divorce
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Conflicting feelings of marital loyalty versus desire for fatherhood
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Lived experience of male infertility
In vitro fertilization vs injection of sperm directly inside of the egg
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A lot of hate from religious groups; child basically made in test tube
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Humans getting too much control over their bodies
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Stigma for an IVF child
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In Middle East, can cause martial dilemmas
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Islam allows polygeny, taking more than one wife
Technological stigma
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IVF and ICSI
3/12/18
Monday, March 12, 2018
10:58 AM
March 12 Page 1
Document Summary
An awareness of the effects of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, and pharmaceuticals on a developing baby changes the experience of pregnancy and motherhood. Woman who is pregnant must look after herself, no regulatory agencies able to stop these chemicals from being in environment. Millions of reproductive-aged men worldwide that are estimated to be infertile. Can be a stigmatizing and potentially emasculating condition. Technologies designed to overcome it often add additional layers of stigma and cultural complexity. Lack of nutritious food during critical periods of adolescent development. Conflicting feelings of marital loyalty versus desire for fatherhood. Man wants to find younger woman who can have child with him --> divorce. In vitro fertilization vs injection of sperm directly inside of the egg. A lot of hate from religious groups; child basically made in test tube. Humans getting too much control over their bodies. Islam allows polygeny, taking more than one wife.
