Infertility in the modern world : present and future prospects
by Gillian R Bentley; C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor, editors
Language: English
Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2000.
350 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
ISBN: 0521643643 ; 9780521643641
Summary: As we enter the twenty-first century, a number of medical, environmental, and social changes have profoundly affected human reproduction. This book discusses some of the more dramatic changes in an accessible manner, illustrating the ways in which human biology and culture can affect fertility. It provides a unique interdisciplinary perspective on the subject. Topics of discussion include medical technological advances that equip us with potential cures for many causes of infertility; diseases, such as AIDS, that have a devastating impact on the reproductive and social lives of humans; increasing industrialization and the development of fabricated materials that pollute our environment in unforeseen ways with possibly devastating effects on human health and fertility; and social revolutions that profoundly alter human relationships, such as nonmarital unions between heterosexual couples, same-sex relationships, and adoption and surrogacy.
Available: http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/life-sciences/biological-anthropology-and-primatology/infertility-modern-world-present-and-future-prospects
The elusive embryo : how women and men approach new reproductive technologies
by Gaylene Becker
Language: English
Berkeley : University of California Press, 2000.
x, 320 p. ; 23 cm.
ISBN: 9780520925243 ; 0520925246
Summary: In the first book to examine the industry of reproductive technology from the perspective of the consumer, Gay Becker scrutinizes the staggering array of medical options available to women and men with fertility problems and assesses the toll—both financial and emotional—that the quest for a biological child often exacts from would-be parents. Becker interviewed hundreds of people over a period of years; their stories are presented here in their own words. Absorbing, informative, and in many cases moving, these stories address deep-seated notions about gender, self-worth, and the cultural ideal of biological parenthood. Becker moves beyond people's personal experiences to examine contemporary meanings of technology and the role of consumption in modern life. What emerges is a clear view of technology as culture, with technology the template on which issues such as gender, nature, and the body are being rewritten and continuously altered. The Elusive Embryo chronicles the history and development of reproductive technology, and shows how global forces in consumer culture have contributed to the industry's growth. Becker examines how increasing use of reproductive technology has changed ideas about "natural" pregnancy and birth. Discussing topics such as in vitro fertilization, how men and women "naturalize" the use of a donor, and what happens when new reproductive technologies don't work, Becker shows how the experience of infertility has become increasingly politicized as potential parents confront the powerful forces that shape this industry. The Elusive Embryo is accessible, well written, and well documented. It will be an invaluable resource for people using or considering new reproductive technologies as well as for social scientists and health professionals.
Available: http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520224315
Sex in the future : the reproductive revolution and how it will change us
by Robin Baker
Language: English
New York : Arcade Pub., 2000.
xvi, 320 pages ; 24 cm.
ISBN: 1559705213 ; 9781559705219
Summary: Robin Baker, an expert on evolution and human sexual behavior turns his attention to the reproductive revolution that is happening around us. Baker explains the technologies of assisted reproduction that are currently available and those likely to become available as we proceed in the twenty-first century: from in vitro fertilization and surrogate motherhood to cloning, gamete banking, and novel ways of micromanipulating sperm and egg, testes and ovaries.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Future-Reproductive-Revolution-Change/dp/1559705213
