Contextualizing Infertility, ART and changing gender relations

Infertility, or the inability to conceive, remains a humiliation more than a problem ofreproductive-aged couples worldwide with high infertility prevalence in some population, including South Asia. Although male infertility contributes to more than half of all cases of global childlessness, infertility remains a woman's social burden. Fertility seems to be a behavior not needing any intervention; but in practice, it is influenced by the social values and norms in which cultural and traditional beliefs play a significant role. In Indian society fertility defines womanhood and motherhood, and infertility is stigmatized. In India, childless women face various physical and mental abuses which affect their health and well being

Author(s): Meerambika Mahapatro

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