| Titre | Eggs, Sperm, and the Reconfiguration of Gender in In Vitro Fertilisation Clinics in China | |
|---|---|---|
| Auteur | Jianfeng Zhu, Jiaqi Liu, Rubing Yang, Mei Ding | |
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Revue | China perspectives |
| Numéro | no 141, 2025 Medicine, Care, and Gender in Contemporary China | |
| Rubrique / Thématique | Special feature |
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| Page | 43-53 | |
| Résumé anglais |
Since the end of China's One-child policy in 2015, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has emerged as a state-supported response to declining birth rates, with several regions incorporating it into healthcare insurance. Drawing on two years of fieldwork in three fertility centres in Shanghai, the article reveals how clinical practices and patient interactions emphasise egg quality as the primary determinant of reproductive success, marginalising the role of sperm. This clinical emphasis on eggs translated into a gendered sense of responsibility, with women frequently encountering greater physical and emotional burdens in the fertility process. These dynamics corresponded to broader social expectations and were reinforced in many of our fieldwork observations. The article argues that these IVF practices in China reinforce existing gender norms, projecting them onto the cellular level and constructing reproductive responsibility as predominantly female. Through these processes, IVF reconfigures gendered identities in ways that reflect and intensify societal norms around reproduction. Source : Éditeur (via OpenEdition Journals) |
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| Article en ligne | https://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/18388 |
