Walking the line between feminism and infertility: implications for nursing, medicine, and patient care

Traditionally infertility has been viewed as a medical condition and has been managed within the medical model of diagnosis, treatment, and cure. The prevalence of infertility has been medically explained by women's sexual promiscuity, pursuit of professional career advancement, and psychological immaturity. Although authors have recently recognized an equitable proportion of infertility problems attributable to male factors, the vast majority of infertility testing and treatment procedures remain directed toward women. Reproductive technologies and their potential for perpetual treatment create a scenario of vulnerability for the infertile woman, which demands the attention of care providers who advocate feminist values of health. In this article, we present a historical overview of infertility and offer a feminist perspective for providing physical and emotional health care to infertile women. Strategies for integrating feminist perspectives of health into infertility programs are discussed.