Narrative ARTifice and women's agency

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Sociology of Reproduction
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• The decision to pursue fertility treatments is multifaceted, involving intricate considerations of choice, agency, and gender.
• Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) raise significant bioethical questions regarding patient autonomy and decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the intersection of choice, agency, and gender within the context of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs).
• To propose a narrative typology to better understand women's experiences with fertility medicine.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes narrative approaches to bioethics, drawing on the work of Arthur Frank and Hilde Lindemann Nelson.
• Develops a typology of "narratives of hope" and "narratives of resistance" to analyze patient experiences.

Main Results:

• Identifies a fundamental conflict women experience in fertility medicine: the need for hope versus the imperative to maintain selfhood.
• Demonstrates how "narratives of resistance," particularly "counterstories," enable women to reconcile their desire for children with their sense of authenticity.

Conclusions:

• Narrative bioethics provides valuable tools for clarifying autonomy judgments in fertility medicine.
• The proposed narrative typology illuminates the complex psychological and ethical landscape for women undergoing ARTs, supporting their ability to remain whole.
• Counterstories are crucial for women navigating fertility treatments, allowing them to assert agency and maintain integrity.