TY - JOUR
T1 - Let us talk about eggs! Professional resistance to elective egg vitrification and gendered medical paternalism
AU - Sándor, Judit
AU - Vicsek, Lilla
AU - Bauer, Zsófia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
PY - 2018/9/1
Y1 - 2018/9/1
N2 - In this paper, by applying a feminist bioethical perspective, we identify a new form of medical paternalism that still shapes contemporary legal policies on human egg cryopreservation performed without medical reasons. The fear of negligent, careless women who opt to delay their pregnancy for mere convenience is a widely known gender biased stereotype. Nevertheless, the opinions and judgments of medical professionals on this issue have not yet been sufficiently explored by in-depth research. In this essay, therefore, first we look at the broader bioethical, legal, and social aspects of human egg cryopreservation. In the second part of the paper we discuss a unique qualitative study conducted with professionals working at Hungarian IVF clinics. We argue, based on a bioethical analysis of the collected data, that when new reproduction technologies provide opportunities for women to widen their range of reproductive choices, the traditional forms of medical paternalism can be reinforced by gendered paternalism, as well. We identify several elements of gendered paternalism that characterized the attitudes of the IVF staff and discuss the professionals’ resistance to elective egg freezing and vitrification of eggs for the future. We conclude by suggesting directions for future policy. Although we focus on the Hungarian case in this paper, we are aware that similar attitudes can be observed in some other countries where this technology has become available and requested by women, but where they also face difficulties in their access to it.
AB - In this paper, by applying a feminist bioethical perspective, we identify a new form of medical paternalism that still shapes contemporary legal policies on human egg cryopreservation performed without medical reasons. The fear of negligent, careless women who opt to delay their pregnancy for mere convenience is a widely known gender biased stereotype. Nevertheless, the opinions and judgments of medical professionals on this issue have not yet been sufficiently explored by in-depth research. In this essay, therefore, first we look at the broader bioethical, legal, and social aspects of human egg cryopreservation. In the second part of the paper we discuss a unique qualitative study conducted with professionals working at Hungarian IVF clinics. We argue, based on a bioethical analysis of the collected data, that when new reproduction technologies provide opportunities for women to widen their range of reproductive choices, the traditional forms of medical paternalism can be reinforced by gendered paternalism, as well. We identify several elements of gendered paternalism that characterized the attitudes of the IVF staff and discuss the professionals’ resistance to elective egg freezing and vitrification of eggs for the future. We conclude by suggesting directions for future policy. Although we focus on the Hungarian case in this paper, we are aware that similar attitudes can be observed in some other countries where this technology has become available and requested by women, but where they also face difficulties in their access to it.
KW - Elective egg freezing
KW - Medical paternalism
KW - Oocyte cryopreservation
KW - Social egg freezing
KW - Social freezing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85031412788&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11019-017-9805-y
DO - 10.1007/s11019-017-9805-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 29027632
AN - SCOPUS:85031412788
SN - 1386-7423
VL - 21
SP - 311
EP - 323
JO - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy
JF - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy
IS - 3
ER -