IVF in a pro-natalist culture: Experiential accounts of Indian women

Abstract

The paper discusses the subjective constructions and lived experiences of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) that are shaped by the ideologies of pro-natalism, pro-genetics and patriarchy prevalent in India. The booming IVF industry is situated amidst the dialectics of pro-natal culture and health policies directed towards population control. Being out of pocket expenditure sans insurance cover, IVF is afforded only by a small minority. Yet their availability is compelling, whereby childless couples feel obligated to try them out in order to absolve themselves of the guilt of not having tried enough. Across India, the fertility of women is celebrated through rites and rituals that commence at menarche and find reiteration at festivals and wedding ceremonies. Hence childless women bear the brunt of stigma, trauma and familial pressures that push them to turn to commercially operated fertility clinics in a bid to overcome childlessness along with guilt and shame associated with it.