Nominated for the 2007 Book Prize by the Council on Anthropology and Reproduction (AAA) Reproductive disruptions, such as infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, and childhood disability, are among the most distressing experiences in people's lives. Based on research by leading medical anthropologists from around the world, this book examines such issues as local practices detrimental to safe pregnancy and birth; conflicting reproductive goals between women and men; miscommunications between pregnant women and their genetic counselors; cultural anxieties over gamete donation and adoption; the contested meanings of abortion; cultural critiques of hormone replacement therapy; and the globalization of new pharmaceutical and assisted reproductive technologies. This breadth - with its explicit move from the "local" to the "global," from the realm of everyday reproductive practice to international programs and policies - illuminates most effectively the workings of power, the tensions between women's and men's reproductive agency, and various cultural and structural inequalities in reproductive health.

Brown Bodies, White Babies focuses on the practice of cross-racial gestational surrogacy, in which a woman - through in-vitro fertilization using the sperm and egg of intended parents or donors - carries a pregnancy for intended parents of a different race. Focusing on the racial differences between parents and surrogates, this book is interested in how reproductive technologies intersect with race, particularly when brown bodies produce white babies. While the potential of reproductive technologies is far from pre-determined, the ways in which these technologies are currently deployed often serve the interests of dominant groups, through the creation of white, middle-class, heteronormative families. Laura Harrison, providing an important understanding of the work of women of color as surrogates, connects this labor to the history of racialized reproduction in the United States. Cross-racial surrogacy is one end of a continuum in which dominant groups rely on the reproductive potential of nonwhite women, whose own reproductive desires have been historically thwarted and even demonized. Brown Bodies, White Babies provides am interdisciplinary analysis that includes legal cases of contested surrogacy, historical examples of surrogacy as a form of racialized reproductive labor, the role of genetics in the assisted reproduction industry, and the recent turn toward reproductive tourism. Joining the ongoing feminist debates surrounding reproduction, motherhood, race, and the body, Brown Bodies, White Babies ultimately critiques the new potentials for parenthood that put the very contours of kinship into question.

In dealing with recent advances in biological engineering and human reproduction, we are confronted with legal, ethical, and religious questions for which there are no precedents. Warren Freedman undertakes a comprehensive examination of this topic. Sorting through the tangle of issues surrounding artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood, and other aspects of contemporary reproduction trends, Freedman attempts to clarify the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families, and society in the face of these new developments.

The author begins with a survey of the legal implications of nontraditional approaches to conception and birth. Separate chapters are devoted to artificial insemination and surrogate motherhood; and new concepts such as cryo-preservation, in-vitro fertilization, banking of sperms and eggs, and patentable new organisms are also discussed in detail. The author addresses questions of rights and liabilities as they apply to fetuses, donors, and adoptive parents, as well as the role of physicians and parenthood organizations, researchers, corporations, and government. Following a review of existing statutes, policies, and contracts that attempt to deal with these issues both here and abroad, he presents proposals that may aid in achieving equitable, uniform solutions. Freedman's book will be of interest to any citizen, group, or government agency concerned with these vital questions, and to professionals in law, government, medicine, human services, and industry.

A cutting-edge analysis of the global issues surrounding modern reproductive technologies Advances in assisted reproductive technologies have sparked global policy debates since the birth of the first so-called "test tube baby" in 1978. Today, mitochondrial replacement therapies represent the most recent advancement in assisted reproductive technologies, allowing some women with mitochondrial diseases to birth babies without those diseases. In the past decade, mitochondrial replacement therapies have captured public sentiment, reigniting debates around social views of reproductive rights and the appropriate legal and political response. Reproduction Reborn guides readers through the history and science of mitochondrial replacement therapies and the various attempts to control them. Leading experts from medicine, genetics, ethics, law, and policy explore the influence of public debate on the evolving shape of these technologies and their subsequent regulation. They highlight case studies from both developed and developing countries across the globe, including recent legislation in Australia and China. They further identify the ethical, legal, and societal norms that need to be addressed by policymakers and communities as more and more people seek to gain access to these treatments. Given the importance of reproduction in family life and cultural identity, clinicians and policymakers must understand how regulatory regimes around mitochondrial replacement therapies have evolved to illuminate the processes and challenges of governing reproduction in a fast-moving world. Informative and global in scope, Reproduction Reborn explores how advancements in assisted reproductive technologies challenge core values surrounding the rights and responsibilities of modern-day family units.

Advances in technology now offer promising solutions to deal with the chronological aging of the cell, tissue or organ to synchronize its existence and its use. This book covers the developments in and benefits of the latest vitrification technology and its extensive applications in reproductive medicine. Protocols of gametes (oocyte and sperm), embryos, blastocysts and ovarian tissue cryopreservation have been reviewed by leaders in the field. In order to address the escalation in cross-border reproductive tourism entailing the transfer of reproductive cells and tissues rather than the patient, the challenges, caution and emerging possibilities of nitrogen vapor shipment of vitrified cells have been discussed. Current perspectives on oocyte banking present the reader with options and solutions to effectively utilize these gametes despite the physiological deterrents.The versatile applications and potential of vitrification of human embryonic stem cells, discussed in the concluding chapter, is an exciting reality offered by vitrification to help overcome numerous stumbling blocks in the management of various disorders.

The editor of this volume takes on the challenging task of presenting an encompassing view of childbirth in America from an anthropological perspective. The book is indeed comprehensive. . . . Collectively the chapters in Childbirth in America lay out a representative sketch of research problems of interest to sociocultural anthropologists and other social scientists working in the area of reproductive health. A distinct accomplishment is the acknowledgement in some of the chapters that not all American women want the same kind of childbirth care or have the same values and attitudes about pregnancy, birth, and parenting, and that this variation needs addressing in both childbirth policy and practice. American Journal of Physical Anthropology A comprehensive and critical examination of the experience of childbirth in America today, from pregnancy to early postpartum. This book covers many controversial issues in the context of diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, which have arisen as a result of the new technologies and ideologies surrounding pregnancy and birth. Most useful as a text for courses in childbirth education, anthropology of women's health, and anthropology of medicine.

Arthur L. Caplan It is commonly said, especially when the subject is assisted reproduction, that medical technology has out stripped our morality. Yet, as the essays in this volume make clear, that is not an accurate assessment of the situ ation. Medical technology has not overwhelmed our moral ity. It would be more accurate to say that our society has not yet achieved consensus about the complex ethical iss ues that arise when medicine tries to assist those who seek its services in order to reproduce. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of ethical opinion about what we ought to do with respect to the use of surrogate mothers, in vitro fertil ization, embryo transfer, artificial insemination, or fertil ity drugs. Nor is it entirely accurate to describe assisted repro duction as technology. The term "technology" carries with it connotations of machines buzzing and technicians scurrying about trying to control a vast array of equip ment. Yet, most of the methods used to assist reproduc tion that are discussed in this volume do not involve exotic technologies or complicated hardware. It is technique, more than technology, that dominates the field of assisted reproduction. Efforts to help the infertile by means of the manipu lation of human reproductive materials and organs date 1 2 Caplan back at least to Biblical times. Human beings have en gaged in all manner of sexual practices and manipulations in attempts to achieve reproduction when nature has balked at allowing life to begin."

The purpose of this third edition of Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology is to provide a practical guide to developmental and reproductive toxicology in a regulatory environment. In addition to a comprehensive update of current chapters, the third edition been revised to reflect recent changes in the field. It contains new chapters that reflect emerging topics of interest, including testing of biologics (including vaccines), nonhuman primates as nonclinical models, developmental immunotoxicity testing, in vitro assays (such as use of zebrafish and stem cells, as well as high throughput screening), in silico systems modelling, evaluating mechanisms of reproductive toxicity, in-depth coverage of neurobehavioral testing, and testing under the EU's REACH regulations, as well as updated chapters on nonclinical juvenile toxicity testing, endocrine disruptor screening, and on functional and computational genomics. The study of hazard and risk associated with exposure to toxicants during prenatal development has been expanded in recent years to include effects on development until the time of puberty. Concern over the adverse effects of chemical or physical agents on the reproductive processes of both sexes has increased, and progress has been made in identifying the causes and mechanisms eliciting congenital defects and determining the genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors involved. This book provides up-to-date guidance on the use and interpretation of the newest research techniques in developmental and reproductive toxicology, as well as the more traditional approaches. Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology, Third Edition: Contains valuable insights gained from hands-on experience, together with a critical evaluation of current testing strategies. Includes guidance for the design, conduct, and interpretation of tests in all areas of developmental and reproductive toxicity. Contains reprinted guidelines from major regulatory agencies, as well as terminology for description of developmental abnormalities in laboratory animals, for easy reference. Provides guidance for planning and conducting preclinical toxicity studies and follow-up studies, and interpreting their results in a regulatory environment. This book continues to be the ideal practical reference for developmental and reproductive toxicologists who perform research in industry, government, and academia and for anyone who intends to enter these research areas.

Breast Care: A Clinical Guidebook for Women's Primary Health Care Providers presents the expertise and protocols of the renowned Breast Diagnostic Center at USC School of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A user-friendly reference for the primary care physician, this book details the management of both benign and malignant breast diseases. Topics include: * the clinical examination and instruction for self-exam * mammography for both screening and diagnosis, management of the abnormal mammogram * lactation and breast feeding * diagnosis and treatment of lumps, cysts, fibroadenomas * fine-needle aspiration and ultrasound guided tissue core needle biopsy * evaluation and management of mastalgia * menstrual and hormonal therapy effects on the breast * the cosmetically treated breast * guidelines for follow-up and surveillance An important section on consultation and referrals reviews the roles of the radiologist, oncologist, and surgeon and provides the primary care physician with the information necessary to counsel the patient on the myriad aspects of multidisciplinary treatment planning. The text includes more than 100 illustrations and algorithms -- with 16 in color -- as well as "Practice Guides" which organize the key practice points, signs, and symptoms. This is a must-have handbook for all providers of health care to women.

This expansive survey spotlights pervasive issues affecting girls' and women's sexual and reproductive health across the lifecourse. Research from diverse countries around the world analyzes the complex relationships among biological, psychological, sociocultural, and economic issues-particularly in terms of inequities-as they shape women's lives. Major challenges and possibilities for intervention are examined in their national context and with their global implications, including child marriage/motherhood, reproductive care and access, fertility, childbearing, contraception, abortion, HIV/STIs, gender-based violence, sexual pleasure, and menopause. In these forceful dispatches, a consistent human rights perspective emphasizes women's control, autonomy, and agency in all stages of their lives. A sampling of topics covered: Girl child marriage: a persistent global women's health and human rights violation Investigating challenges and resilience among women living with obstetric fistula in Kenya A qualitative exploration of mainstream and social media reflections on abortion A continuum of severity of sexual intimate partner violence among black women in the United States Economic empowerment to improve sexual and reproductive health among women and girls Summarizing an interdisciplinary field on research and practical levels, Global Perspectives on Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Across the Lifecourse will be an invaluable text for undergraduate and graduate courses in a wide range of fields, including public health, global health, women's studies, sociology, anthropology, gender studies, and human rights.

The Project on Reproductive Laws for the 1990s began in 1985 with the realization that reports of scientific developments and new technologies were stimulating debates and discussions among bioethicists and policymakers, and that women had little part in those discussions either as participants or as a group with interests to be considered. With the help of a planning grant from the Rutgers University Institute for Research on Women, the Women's Rights Litigation Clinic at Rutgers University Law School-Newark held a planning meeting that June attended by approximately 20 theorists and activists in the area of reproductive rights. Project purposes, methods, and general shape took form at the meeting. Two goals have characterized the Project's work since then: first, to generate discussion, debate, and, where possible, consensus among those committed to reproductive autonomy and gender equality as to how best to respond to the questions raised by re ported advances in reproductive and neonatal technology and new modes of reproduction; and second, to ensure that those shaping reproductive law and policy appreciate the ramifications of these developments for gender equality. In meeting this twofold agenda, the Project focused on six areas: time limits on abortion; prenatal screening; fetus as patient; reproductive hazards in the workplace; interference with reproductive choice; and alternative modes of reproduction. The Project identified individuals to take respon sibility for drafting model legislation and position papers in the six areas (for the drafters, see the Appendix)."

This second edition emphasizes the environmental impact on reproduction, with updated chapters throughout as well as complete new chapters on species such as sharks and rays. This is a wide-ranging book that will be of relevance to anyone involved in species conservation, and provides critical perspectives on the real utility of current and emerging reproductive sciences.Understanding reproductive biology is centrally important to the way many of the world's conservation problems should be tackled. Currently the extinction problem is huge, with up to 30% of the world's fauna being expected to disappear in the next 50 years. Nevertheless, it has been estimated that the global population of animals in zoos encompasses 12,000 - 15,000 species, and we anticipate that every effort will be made to preserve these species for as long as possible, minimizing inbreeding effects and providing the best welfare standards available. Even if the reproductive biology community cannot solve the global biodiversity crisis for all wild species, we should do our best to maintain important captive populations. Reproductive biology in this context is much more than the development of techniques for helping with too little or too much breeding. While some of the relevant techniques are useful for individual species that society might target for a variety of reasons, whether nationalistic, cultural or practical, technical developments have to be backed up by thorough biological understanding of the background behind the problems.

This unique book is a comprehensive guide for healthcare providers who treat patients with complex medical conditions but lack the resources to address fertility and sexuality concerns and help patients navigate their fertility decision-making process. It presents up-to-date information concerning fertility preservation and restoration for patients with hereditary cancer syndromes, disorders of sex development, hematologic diseases, genetic disorders of gonadal dysfunction, immunologic diseases, gynecologic diseases, endocrine disorders, and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Utilizing a practical, user-friendly format, each chapter discusses the epidemiology, classification, risk factors and/or clinical manifestations, and diagnosis and treatment modalities specific to each condition, as well as the effect of it or its treatment on fertility and unique options that may exist. Complex medical conditions are inherently difficult to manage, and reproductive interventions are often not part of the conversation. As such, Fertility Preservation and Restoration for Patients with Complex Medical Conditions will be an excellent resource for primary care physicians, obstetrician/gynecologists, endocrinologists, oncologists, and other health professionals working with patients with fertility concerns. This book, together with Oncofertility: Fertility Preservation for Cancer Survivors; Oncofertility: Ethical, Legal, Social, and Medical Perspectives; Oncofertility Medical Practice: Clinical Issues and Implementation; Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines; and Pediatric and Adolescent Oncofertility: Best Practices and Emerging Technologies, provides scientific and medically relevant information on fertility preservation from all vantage points and is an indispensable series for those interested in fertility management in cancer or complex settings.

Brantlinger discusses the current medical and legal trends in sterilization with special emphasis on people with disabilities. She explores the issues surrounding sterilization decisions from the perspectives of judges, lawyers, social workers, doctors, family planners, as well as the families and individuals themselves. Woven throughout the book are case studies of individuals ranging from mild to severe retardation.

Brantlinger discusses the current medical and legal trends in sterilization with special emphasis on people with disabilities. She explores the issues surrounding sterilization decisions from the perspectives of judges, lawyers, social workers, doctors, family planners, as well as the families and individuals themselves.

Woven throughout the book are case studies of individuals ranging from mild to severe retardation. She illustrates how ethical issues related to sterilization are framed and which moral values are called upon during decision-making. She ends with guidelines for decision-making. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date work on the subject, this book will be invaluable to professionals in the social services and mental health fields as well as researchers in law, special education, social work, and public health. Individuals confronting these concerns will find the volume instructive as well.

To what extent should parents be able to choose the kind of child they have? The unfortunate phrase 'designer baby' has become familiar in debates surrounding reproduction. As a reference to current possibilities the term is misleading, but the phrase may indicate a societal concern of some kind about control and choice in the course of reproduction. Typically, people can choose whether to have a child. They may also have an interest in choosing, to some extent, the conditions under which they do so, such as whether they have a child with a serious disability or disease. The purpose of this book is to explore the difficult and controversial question of the appropriate ethical and legal extent of reproductive autonomy in this context. The book examines ethical, legal and public policy issues in prenatal screening, prenatal diagnosis (PND), selective abortion and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). It explores the ethics of these selection practices and the ability of current ethical guidelines and legal mechanisms, including the law on selective abortion and wrongful birth, to deal with advances in genetic and other knowledge in these areas. Unlike in the United States, in England the relevant law is not inherently rights-based, but the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 inevitably raises questions about the proper scope of reproductive autonomy in this context. The implications of the analysis are considered for the development of relevant law, public policy and ethical guidelines and will be of interest to academics in medical law and ethics, health professionals, lawyers, those working on public policy and students with an interest in these issues.

Reproductive health care professionals in fields such as Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics face difficult ethical issues because they work at the crossroads of patient decision-making, scientific advancement, political controversy, legal regulation, and profound moral considerations. The dilemmas these professionals face expose big-picture bioethics questions of interest to everyone. Yet for clinicians striving to deliver excellent patient care, the ethical questions that make daily practice challenging can be just as nuanced. This volume presents a carefully curated compilation of essays written by leading experts in the fields of medicine, ethics, and law, who address key issues at the forefront of reproductive ethics. It is organized into three main sections: I. Contraception and Abortion Ethics - Preventing Pregnancy and Birth, II. Assisted Reproduction Ethics - Initiating Pregnancy, and III. Obstetric Ethics - Managing Pregnancy and Delivery. Each section begins with a short introduction by the editors providing an overview of the area and contextualizing the essays that follow. This volume's primary aim is to be useful to practicing clinicians, students, and trainees by providing short and practical essays covering urgent topics-from race, religion and abortion, to legal liability, violations of confidentiality and maternal choices that risk future children's health. This collection provides clinicians at all levels of training with frameworks they need to approach the intimate and high-stakes encounters central to their profession.

This book provides an overview of the role and function of regulatory RNAs that lack protein-coding potential in key reproductive tissues. This includes the role of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Through clear, detailed and comprehensive debate, international leading experts discuss the role these novel regulators in normal development of sexual dimorphisms, including the differentiation of ovaries and testes, the genital tract including prostate, epididymis and uterus, as well as mammary glands. In addition, particular attention is paid on their role in pathophysiological processes within the reproductive tract. The power of next generation sequencing has proved to be an invaluable tool to discover new non-coding RNAs. While the identification of non-coding RNA is relatively easy, analysing their function represents still a challenge today. In this book, authors present historical and conceptual background information, highlight the ways in which non-coding RNAs function is analysed and present their vision of the future research in their key research area.

This book presents a timely collection of reviews by experts in periconception and fertilization. The book provides a good introduction for those new to the field as well as those who have worked in this field for some time, but not have been able to keep up-to-date with recent advances on the topic. The book reviews the current knowledge in this field, then focuses its attention on short-term and long-term effects of the periconception period, both from a physiological and medical perspective. Finally the volume covers the examination of the potential mechanisms involved in controlling periconception period. From the early days of discovery about the basics of the fertilization process, scientists have known that early events happening during conception play a major part in the creation of new offspring. However, until nearly a decade ago we thought these events were just concerned with the conception and nothing to do with lifelong health and welfare, or wellbeing of the offspring. Early indications from IVF in sheep and cattle suggested that the embryo culture conditions employed in the laboratory could result in unusually large and unhealthy offspring. These observations sounded alarm bells and stimulated research into the impacts of in vivo and in vitro conditions on the health of embryos and offspring. This book provides a summary of the state-of-the-art research being done to more fully understand the importance of the periconception environment.

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) include the artificial or partially artificial methods to achieve pregnancy. These new technologies lead to substantial changes regarding of ethical and legal aspects in reproductive medicine. The book focuses on current hot topics about ethical dilemmas in ART, e.g. about the duties of ethical committees, guidelines regarding informed consent, ethical and legal aspects of sperm donation, embryo donation, ethics of embryonic stem cells, therapeutical cloning, patenting of human genes, commercialization.

All persons, while different from one another, have the same value: this is the author's relatively uncontroversial starting point. Her end point is not uncontroversial: an ideal of justice as human flourishing, based on each person's unique set of capabilities. Because the book's focus is women's health care, gender justice, a necessary component of justice, is central to examination of the issues. Classical pragmatists and feminist standpoint theorists are enlisted in support of a strategy by which gender justice is promoted. Two features of the book are unique: (1) the topics presented cover the entire life span of women, not just those related to reproduction; (2) a range views about moral status are applied not only to fetuses but also to individuals already born. Attention to these features is intended to facilitate ethical consistency or moral integrity and respect for those who hold different moral views. While delineating and defending the book's perspective, the first section provides an overview of bioethics, critiques prevalent approaches to bioethics and models of the physician-patient relationship, and sketches distinguishing aspects of women's health care that are prevalently neglected. Positions about moral status are also presented. The second section identifies topics that are indirectly as well as directly related to women's health, such as domestic violence and caregiving. Brief cases illustrate variables relevant to each topic. Empirical and theoretical considerations follow each set of cases; these are intended to precipitate more expansive and critical examination of the issues raised. The last section is devoted to an egalitarian ideal that may be pursued throughan ethic of virtue or supererogation rather than obligation. By embracing this ideal, according to the author, moral agents support a more demanding level of morality than guidelines or laws require.