Rethinking Reproductive Labor through Surrogates’ Invisible Bodily Care Work

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1103-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabel Stoeckle
Keyword(s):  
Rare Event ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Care Work ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Reproductive Labor ◽  
Labor Regulations ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Global Surrogacy

New reproductive technologies such as egg donation and in-vitro fertilization have opened a global surrogacy market; surrogacy is now one of many options to start a family. However, surrogacy and other intimate acts are not typically categorized as work. The designation of surrogacy arrangements as either “commercial” or “altruistic” has hinged on the surrogate’s motivations, financial hardship, and social locale. These differences, in turn, influence the classification of surrogacy as either work or labor of love. Even when surrogacy is recognized as work – a rare event – altruistic aspects are highlighted while the laboring nature of the activities are obscured. This article argues that surrogates perform reproductive labor; more precisely, their invisible bodily care work, regardless of their locale, motivations, relationship with the intended parent(s), and irrespective of whether they receive payment. Conceptualizing surrogacy as bodily care work has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, extending our understanding of what counts as labor matters. Practically, the recognition of surrogacy as work would extend already existing labor regulations to surrogates as well as allow for the formulation of regulations specific to surrogacy.

The Commodification of Women’s Reproductive Tissue and Services

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Dickenson
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Umbilical Cord Blood ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Human Tissues ◽  
Reproductive Tissue ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Reproductive Labor ◽  
Opening Up

Although the term “commodification” is sometimes criticized as imprecise or overused, in fact it has a complex philosophical ancestry and can never be used too much because the phenomena that it describes are still gaining ground. The issues that commodification raises in relation to reproductive technologies include whether it is wrong to commodify human tissues generally and gametes particularly, and whether the person as subject and the person as object can be distinguished in modern biomedicine. This chapter examines three areas in which commodification is a serious concern for important reproductive technologies: the sale of eggs for in vitro fertilization and research, the banking of umbilical cord blood, and the use of gestational surrogates both domestically and internationally. In each example, the commodification of women’s reproductive labor is masked by the manner in which “the lady vanishes” under a gift model, ignoring the true economic value of their labor and opening up the possibility of exploitation by commercial interests.

The experience of holding the cycles of assisted reproductive technology with defrost, a biopsy, genetic study and refreezing of embryos in patients with multiple unsuccessful implantations

2016 ◽  
pp. 166-170
Author(s):  
Y.V. Masliy ◽  
◽  
I.O. Sudoma ◽  
P.S. Mazur ◽  
D.A. Mykytenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosomal Rearrangements ◽  
Genetic Diagnosis ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Implantation Rate ◽  
Ovarian Response ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Comparative Genome Hybridization ◽  
Comparative Genome ◽  
Vitro Fertilization

The objective: to study the possibility of using frozen blastocysts for biopsy and genetic testing and performance measurement transfer euploeded 5–7-day-old embryos after thawing, biopsies, refreezing and thawing in patients with unsuccessful implantation. Patients and methods. The object of the study was the group of patients with repeated failure of implantation (4) in programs of auxiliary reproductive technologies (ART), subject to transfer to the uterus in total (i.e. in all the programs) for at least 6 good quality embryos based on morphological characteristics). All women had sufficient ovarian reserve. The patient was treated for infertility within the ART programs of the clinic of reproductive medicine "Nadiya" in the period from 2006 to 2016. The sample included couples who were not carriers of chromosomal rearrangements, without anomalies of the uterus (congenital and acquired: a doubling of the uterus, one-horned uterus, intrauterine membrane, synechia, submucous myoma of the uterus). All women had a positive ovarian response to controlled stimulation with gonadotropins (at least 7 oocytes) and a sufficient number of cryopreserved embryos. The first group (G1) included 64 women who trophectodermal a biopsy was performed on fresh blastocysts (in a loop controlled ovarian hyperstimulation). The second group (G2) were included 31 women who underwent thawing previously cryopreserved blastocysts trophectodermal re-biopsy and vitrification of blastocysts. Results. It was found that the performance of transfers euploid embryos that were vitrified, bioptrone and revitriphted, a little lower than those that were bioptrone fresh and vitrified only once. At the same time computationa genetic diagnosis previously vitrified blastocysts using comparative genome hybridization in patients with recurrent failed implantation allows to obtain a reasonable pregnancy rate (58%), implantation rate (33.3 %) and the birth of living children (45.1 %). Conclusion. Reprising biopropane embryos does not cause significant destructive impact and allows you to achieve pregnancy and birth of the alive child. Key words: in vitro fertilization, reusable unsuccessful implantation, a method of comparative genome hybridization, refreezing.

Thickness of endometrium: predictor of the effectiveness of IVF/ICSI programs (literature review)

GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-116
Author(s):  
L A Bagdasaryan ◽  
I E Korneyeva
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Endometrial Thickness ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Uterine Cavity ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Need To Evaluate ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of the study is to systematically analyze the data available in the modern literature on the relationship between endometrial thickness and the frequency of pregnancy in the program of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials and methods. The review includes data from foreign and domestic articles found in PubMed on this topic. Results. The article presents data on the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the frequency of pregnancy in ART programs. The greatest number of studies is devoted to the evaluation of the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the frequency of pregnancy on the day of the ovulation trigger. Data are presented on the existence of a correlation between the thickness of the endometrium measured on the day of the ovulation trigger and the frequency of clinical pregnancy, as well as data on the need to evaluate the structure of the endometrium and the state of subendometric blood flow. The importance of multilayered (three-layered) endometrium as a prognostic marker of success in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection programs in the ovum is emphasized. The conclusion. The thickness of the endometrium can not be used as an argument for canceling the cycle or abolishing embryo transfer to the uterine cavity. Further studies in this direction are needed with a study of the morphological and molecular genetic characteristics of the endometrium, which in the future will allow us to evaluate the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the probability of pregnancy.

Legal restrictions on pre-implantation genetic diagnostics in the framework of in vitro fertilization procedure: foreign experience and Russian perspective

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.A. Altinnik , S.S. Zenin , V.V. Komarova et all
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Genetic Diagnosis ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Genetic Diagnostics ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Medical Indications

The article discusses the factors that determine the content of the legal limitations of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in the framework of the in vitro fertilization procedure, taking into account international experience and modern domestic regulatory legal regulation of the field of assisted reproductive technologies. The authors substantiates the conclusion that it is necessary to legislate a list of medical indications for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as the categories of hereditary or other genetic diseases diagnosed in the framework of this procedure.

scholarly journals Prevalence of pathogenic copy number variants among children conceived by donor oocyte

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Monfort ◽  
Carmen Orellana ◽  
Silvestre Oltra ◽  
Mónica Rosello ◽  
Alfonso Caro-Llopis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Copy Number Variants ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Significant Excess ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Donor Oocyte ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractDevelopment of assisted reproductive technologies to address infertility has favored the birth of many children in the last years. The majority of children born with these treatments are healthy, but some concerns remain on the safety of these medical procedures. We have retrospectively analyzed both the fertilization method and the microarray results in all those children born between 2010 and 2019 with multiple congenital anomalies, developmental delay and/or autistic spectrum disorder (n = 486) referred for array study in our center. This analysis showed a significant excess of pathogenic copy number variants among those patients conceived after in vitro fertilization with donor oocyte with respect to those patients conceived by natural fertilization (p = 0.0001). On the other hand, no significant excess of pathogenic copy number variants was observed among patients born by autologous oocyte in vitro fertilization. Further studies are necessary to confirm these results and in order to identify the factors that may contribute to an increased risk of genomic rearrangements, as well as consider the screening for genomic alterations after oocyte donation in prenatal diagnosis.

scholarly journals Sperm Selection Procedures for Optimizing the Outcome of ICSI in Patients with NOA

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2687
Author(s):  
Kaan Aydos ◽  
Oya Sena Aydos
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Selection ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Testicular Sperm Extraction ◽  
Obstructive Azoospermia ◽  
Sperm Retrieval ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Great Hope ◽  
Future Fertility

Retrieving spermatozoa from the testicles has been a great hope for patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), but relevant methods have not yet been developed to the level necessary to provide resolutions for all cases of NOA. Although performing testicular sperm extraction under microscopic magnification has increased sperm retrieval rates, in vitro selection and processing of quality sperm plays an essential role in the success of in vitro fertilization. Moreover, sperm cryopreservation is widely used in assisted reproductive technologies, whether for therapeutic purposes or for future fertility preservation. In recent years, there have been new developments using advanced technologies to freeze and preserve even very small numbers of sperm for which conventional techniques are inadequate. The present review provides an up-to-date summary of current strategies for maximizing sperm recovery from surgically obtained testicular samples and, as an extension, optimization of in vitro sperm processing techniques in the management of NOA.

Characterization of isolated bovine preantral follicles based on morphology, diameter and cell number

Zygote ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-159
Author(s):  
Juliana I. Candelaria ◽  
Anna C. Denicol
Keyword(s):  
Granulosa Cells ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Preantral Follicles ◽  
Secondary Stage

SummaryPreantral follicles are a potential reservoir of oocytes to be used in assisted reproductive technologies. With the increasing interest in developing techniques to grow preantral follicles in vitro, and as the bovine emerges as an appropriate model species to understand human folliculogenesis, the establishment of an accurate classification of developmental stages is needed. Classification of bovine preantral follicles has been mostly based on histological analysis and estimation models, which may not translate well to correctly characterize preantral follicles isolated from the ovary. In this study, we classified bovine preantral follicles by morphology upon isolation, determined diameter and number of granulosa cells by direct counting, and compared our results with previous studies reporting bovine preantral follicle classification. Follicles were isolated via homogenization of ovary tissue and classified into primary, early secondary and secondary stage based on morphology and number of layers of granulosa cells. Diameter was individually measured and Hoechst 33342 was used as a nuclear stain to count granulosa cells. We found that follicles classified by morphology into primary, early secondary, and secondary had different mean diameter and cell number (P < 0.01); cell number and diameter were positively correlated, as were cell density and cell number in each developmental stage (P < 0.01). Results obtained here were mostly in agreement with previous classifications based on histological sections and on isolated follicles, with some discrepancies. The present data add accuracy to classification of bovine preantral follicles that is critical to optimize culture conditions to produce developmentally competent oocytes.

Peculiarities of pregnancy and delivery course in women after the application of assisted reproductive technologies against obesity (Based on the retrospective analysis)

2018 ◽  
pp. 122-126
Author(s):  
I.A. Zhabchenko ◽  
◽  
O.R. Sudmak ◽  
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Retrospective Analysis ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Ischemic Lesion ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Pregnancy And Delivery

The objective: to study the structure and frequency of complications of pregnancy, deliveries and perinatal outcomes in three groups of women: women with infertility and obesity, treated by application of in vitro fertilization (hereinafter IVF), pregnant women after IVF application with normal body weight, and pregnant women on the background of obesity which did not have an infertility in past history. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of 221 case histories of pregnancies and labors in women who were treated and gave birth in the Pregnancy and delivery pathology Department of SI «Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology named after Acad. O. M. Lukyanova of NAMS of Ukraine» for 2012 – 2016 years was carried out. Results. The overwhelming majority of pregnant women after IVF on the background of obesity are primaparas, who have a complicated obstetric history, hormonal changes in the form of progesterone deficiency predominantly and chronic inflammatory processes. Pregnancy with a combination of infertility, treated by the means of IVF application, and obesity, in most cases is accompanied by a long-term threat of termination of pregnancy (48.8%), threatening preterm deliveries (56%), placental dysfunction (41.5%), premature rupture of the amniotic membranes (41.5%), other problems during pregnancy, at the same time, every second woman (58.5%) had a combination of several complications, and required a long-term and repeated inpatient treatment (53.7%). The specific gravity of surgical delivery was 90%, and 16.2% of such deliveries were complicated by pathological blood loss. The number of preterm deliveries was 17.1%, with perinatal losses up to 11.3‰. Among full-term newborns 21.3% of newborns had malnutrition of the I degree and 17% of them had hypoxic-ischemic lesion of CNS. Conclusion. The course of pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum period in the studied contingent of women has a significant frequency of complications, mainly the coinciding ones, which affects on the consequences of perinatal outcomes and requires further study of this problem and the development of differentiated algorithms for antenatal observation. Key words: pregnancy, obesity, in vitro fertilization, complications, delivery, newborn.

A Baby at All Costs? Exploring the Use and Provision of Unproven Adjuvant Treatments in the Context of IVF

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina L. Jones ◽  
Victoria Lang ◽  
Nicky Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Patient Survey ◽  
Fertility Treatment ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
The Past ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
National Patient ◽  
Psychosocial Perspective

AbstractThe year 2018 marked 40 years since the birth of Louise Brown, the first baby born as a result of pioneering in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Since then, advances have seen a wide range of reproductive technologies emerge into clinical practice, including adjuvant treatments often referred to as IVF “add-ons.” However, these “optional extras” have faced growing criticism, especially when they have often come at additional financial cost to the patient and have little evidence supporting their efficacy to improve pregnancy or birth rates. Despite this, according to the latest national patient survey by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, three quarters of patients who had fertility treatment in the United Kingdom in the past two years had at least one type of treatment add-on highlighting the growing demand for these interventions. This article uses a psychosocial perspective to consider the motivations behind patient and clinician behavior along with the wider societal and economic factors that may be impacting upon the increase in the use of adjuvant treatments in fertility clinics more widely. It suggests the reasons fertility patients use unproven “optional extras” are complex, with interpersonal, psychological, and social factors intertwining to generate an increase in the use of IVF add-ons.

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