Motherhood on ice : the mating gap and why women freeze their eggs / Marcia C. Inhorn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Inhorn, Marcia C., 1957- author.

Series:

Anthropologies of American medicine

Anthropologies of American medicine: culture, power, and practice

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motherhood--United States.

Reproductive technology--United States.

Infertility--United States--Prevention.

Infertility--Prevention.

Motherhood.

Reproductive technology.

United States.

Assisted reproductive technology .

Physical Description:

xxii, 323 pages : tables ; 24 cm.

Other Title:

Mating gap and why women freeze their eggs

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, [2023]

Summary:

"Why are American women freezing their eggs? Motherhood on Ice answers this question through the stories of more than 100 women who pursued fertility preservation. Egg freezing is women's technological solution to the mating gap-or the lack of eligible, educated, and equal partners who are ready for marriage and parenthood"-- Provided by publisher.

"Answers the question: Why are women freezing their eggs? Why are women freezing their eggs in record numbers? Motherhood on Ice explores this question by drawing on the stories of more than 150 women who pursued fertility preservation technology. Moving between narratives of pain and empowerment, these nuanced personal stories reveal the complexity of women's lives as they struggle to preserve and extend their fertility. Contrary to popular belief, egg freezing is rarely about women postponing fertility for the sake of their careers. Rather, the most-educated women are increasingly forced to delay childbearing because they face a mating gap--a lack of eligible, educated, equal partners ready for marriage and parenthood. For these women, egg freezing is a reproductive backstop, a technological attempt to bridge the gap while waiting for the right partner. But it is not an easy choice for most. Their stories reveal the extent to which it is logistically complicated, physically taxing, financially demanding, emotionally draining, and uncertain in its effects. In this powerful book, women share their reflections on their clinical encounters, as well as the immense hopes and investments they place in this high-tech fertility preservation strategy. Race, religion, and the role of men in the lives of single women pursuing this technology are also explored. A distinctly human portrait of an understudied and rapidly growing population, Motherhood on Ice examines what is at stake for women who take comfort in their frozen eggs while embarking on their quests for partnership, pregnancy, and parenting." -- Publisher's description

Contents:

Prologue: Kayla's egg freezing and partnership predicaments

Introduction: The rise of egg freezing

Part I: Motivations. The mating gap: Educated women and missing men

The end of romance: Relationship trauma and repair

The minority concerns: Race, religion, and the fertility paradox

The fertility threats: From aging ovaries to cancer

Part II: Experiences. The IVF clinic: Single women braving a couples' world

The supporters: Family, friends, and men who care

The empowered: From reluctant feminists to egg freezing activists

The banked and thawed: From frozen eggs to egg babies

Conclusion: The future of egg freezing

Appendix: The gender parity index (GPI).

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-313) and index.

ISBN:

9781479813049

1479813044

OCLC:

1341269059

Publisher Number:

40031818642