Reproductive Technologies

by Lindsay Harrison

There is really no official Ecofeminist position on reproductive technologies. Some argue that the use of technology to manipulate human biology is dangerous because it allows patriarchal science to consume the only real trump card that women have. They also argue that the use of such technologies entrenches the mindset by which human manipulation of the natural environment is accepted, justifying environmental degradation and maintaining the incorrect assumption that humans are not interrelated with nature. Other Ecofeminists argue that women have a right to reproductive technology because their bodies belong to them. To control their wombs, they argue, is to oppress them and treat them as less than human. Much controversey surrounds the issue of reproductive technologies - the following list of websites provides a basis for researching all angles of the debate.

In researching these sites, I found that many of those listed under "reproductive technology" and "feminism" only describe the potential technologies under development in the status quo. It actually shocked me at how many doctors, hospitals, and clinics promote themselves and the technological opporatunities they offer on the internet. The enormous volume of technological offerings proves the timeliness of this important issue.

Reproductive Technology
http://www.onf.ca/FMT/E?cat.10762

This site lists multiple films about Reproductive Technology and women's rights. I have personally viewed "Making Perfect Babies." The film depicts a conference in Canada where the negative arguments against reproductive technology are thoroughly discussed. Other films include: Ms Conceptions, Making Babies, The Technological Stork, The Last Straw, 90 Days. Unfortunately, the site is not as informative as the films it promotes.
Some of the other negative arguments include detailed descriptions of the risks of reproductive technologies on women's bodies. The most recent woman to give birth through IVF at University of Southern California Medical Center at the age of 65 highlights the necessity of asking the questions these films raise. The lingering image of a disabled woman saddened by the prospects that she would not have been born had in vitro fertilization existed when her mother discovered she was carrying a disabled child highlights the importance of these films.

Reproductive Technology: A Study Report of the Michigan Law Revision Commission
http://www.dcl.edu/repro.htm

This site describes all current technologies available to women. It also discusses current and proposed legislation in both Michigan and other states, as well as at the federal level. The authors argue that insurance should cover reproductive technologies for women. The site is excellent on the legal distinctions in state statutes with regard to tort liability for these procedures. This site is vital for anyone concerned with the control of the legal and medical industries over women's bodies. The major arguments in favor of reproductive technologies include the right of women to escape the control of these institutions. For Ecofeminism specifically, the importance of moving away from the institutions of scientific and medical manipulation.

W.I.S.E. - Women's Issues and Social Empowerment

This site consists of several essays describing the theoretical arguments on both sides of the debate on reproductive technology. The other essays included in this site deal with a wide range of feminist issues, including prostitution, pornography, social constructionism vs. essentialism, and other debates between different feminist theories on social issues affecting women. If the essays on reproductive technology are a reflection on the other sections of the site, W.I.S.E. is a must for anyone researching controverseys affecting women.

The Impact of IVF Technologies, Its Links with Pre-Natal Screening and the Social Consequences for Women by Christine Szikla
http://www.vicenet.au/~wise/RT1.htm

This essay argues that this technology is "the medical manipulation of [women's] bodies. The screeing involved, she argues, leads to abortions based on genetic inferiority, the total elimination of defects among births. This new generation of genetically perfect robots is as dangerous as it is unnatural. Szikla argues that there is no means by which to control the proliferation of reproductive technologies once they are permitted.

Surrogacy: Why Women Lose by Christine Szikla
http://www.vicenet.au/~wise/RT2.htm

This essay argues that surrogacy commodifies women as wombs, entreching patriarchy in the medical industry and in science in general. This financial exploitation of women comes dangerously close to slavery, despite financial compensation.

Rights, Choices, and Reproductive Technology by Lisa Di Valentino
http://www.vicenet.au/~wise/RT3.htm

In her own words, Valentino's page "intends to show that there isn't a moral right to ART by virtue of the fact that it is a positive freedom and is not essential to an individual's survival." Valentino seeks to critique positive rights on the grounds they inevitably conflict with one another. She argues that there is no general right to reproductive technology because it is not available to all people, because access to it is not ensured by contract, and because reproduction is not a basic element of survival. Other arguments include a description of the many risks of reproductive technology for the woman and her child, a description of how it hurts women as a gender because it stigmatizes women who can't bear children. The essay also argues that a woman's desire to have her own child is not real - it's a cultural construction that childbirth is "feminine." The only problem with the essay is that it essentializes the feminist position by saying that all feminists oppose reproductive technology, when in reality, she is really arguing that all feminists should oppose it.

Ethical Considerations of Assisted Reproductive Technologies by the Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine

The web page is disappointing, as it is merely a promotional advertisement for the ASRM's book. The book, however, is worth the costly price. It is an eloquent discussion of the ethical concerns of ART.

Feminist Links
http://www.feminist.com/reprod.htm
This site organizes the hundreds of existing links on feminist issues. Rather than relisting all of the sites surveyed here, I suggest a visit to this one. The depth of the sites is not as engaging as it could be, but the bredth of the links makes this an excellent research guide.

Women of the World: Formal Laws and Policies Affecting Their Reproductive Lives
http://www.echonyc.com/~jmkm/wotw/

This site gives a much more diverse collection of viewpoints on the issue of reproductive technologies. It lists the official position of feminist organizations by country and by subject.

This Web Site was created by students of the University of Southern California, participating in Gloria Orenstein's Ecofeminism Class.

Reproductive Technology http://www.onf.ca/FMT/E?cat.10762	This site lists multiple films about Reproductive Technology and women's rights. I have personally viewed "Making Perfect Babies." The film depicts a conference in Canada where the negative arguments against reproductive technology are thoroughly discussed. Other films include: Ms Conceptions, Making Babies, The Technological Stork, The Last Straw, 90 Days. Unfortunately, the site is not as informative as the films it promotes. Some of the other negative arguments include detailed descriptions of the risks of reproductive technologies on women's bodies. The most recent woman to give birth through IVF at University of Southern California Medical Center at the age of 65 highlights the necessity of asking the questions these films raise. The lingering image of a disabled woman saddened by the prospects that she would not have been born had in vitro fertilization existed when her mother discovered she was carrying a disabled child highlights the importance of these films.
Reproductive Technology: A Study Report of the Michigan Law Revision Commission http://www.dcl.edu/repro.htm	This site describes all current technologies available to women. It also discusses current and proposed legislation in both Michigan and other states, as well as at the federal level. The authors argue that insurance should cover reproductive technologies for women. The site is excellent on the legal distinctions in state statutes with regard to tort liability for these procedures. This site is vital for anyone concerned with the control of the legal and medical industries over women's bodies. The major arguments in favor of reproductive technologies include the right of women to escape the control of these institutions. For Ecofeminism specifically, the importance of moving away from the institutions of scientific and medical manipulation.
W.I.S.E. - Women's Issues and Social Empowerment	This site consists of several essays describing the theoretical arguments on both sides of the debate on reproductive technology. The other essays included in this site deal with a wide range of feminist issues, including prostitution, pornography, social constructionism vs. essentialism, and other debates between different feminist theories on social issues affecting women. If the essays on reproductive technology are a reflection on the other sections of the site, W.I.S.E. is a must for anyone researching controverseys affecting women.
The Impact of IVF Technologies, Its Links with Pre-Natal Screening and the Social Consequences for Women by Christine Szikla http://www.vicenet.au/~wise/RT1.htm	This essay argues that this technology is "the medical manipulation of [women's] bodies. The screeing involved, she argues, leads to abortions based on genetic inferiority, the total elimination of defects among births. This new generation of genetically perfect robots is as dangerous as it is unnatural. Szikla argues that there is no means by which to control the proliferation of reproductive technologies once they are permitted.
Surrogacy: Why Women Lose by Christine Szikla http://www.vicenet.au/~wise/RT2.htm	This essay argues that surrogacy commodifies women as wombs, entreching patriarchy in the medical industry and in science in general. This financial exploitation of women comes dangerously close to slavery, despite financial compensation.
Rights, Choices, and Reproductive Technology by Lisa Di Valentino http://www.vicenet.au/~wise/RT3.htm	In her own words, Valentino's page "intends to show that there isn't a moral right to ART by virtue of the fact that it is a positive freedom and is not essential to an individual's survival." Valentino seeks to critique positive rights on the grounds they inevitably conflict with one another. She argues that there is no general right to reproductive technology because it is not available to all people, because access to it is not ensured by contract, and because reproduction is not a basic element of survival. Other arguments include a description of the many risks of reproductive technology for the woman and her child, a description of how it hurts women as a gender because it stigmatizes women who can't bear children. The essay also argues that a woman's desire to have her own child is not real - it's a cultural construction that childbirth is "feminine." The only problem with the essay is that it essentializes the feminist position by saying that all feminists oppose reproductive technology, when in reality, she is really arguing that all feminists should oppose it.
Ethical Considerations of Assisted Reproductive Technologies by the Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine	The web page is disappointing, as it is merely a promotional advertisement for the ASRM's book. The book, however, is worth the costly price. It is an eloquent discussion of the ethical concerns of ART.
Feminist Links http://www.feminist.com/reprod.htm	This site organizes the hundreds of existing links on feminist issues. Rather than relisting all of the sites surveyed here, I suggest a visit to this one. The depth of the sites is not as engaging as it could be, but the bredth of the links makes this an excellent research guide.
Women of the World: Formal Laws and Policies Affecting Their Reproductive Lives http://www.echonyc.com/~jmkm/wotw/	This site gives a much more diverse collection of viewpoints on the issue of reproductive technologies. It lists the official position of feminist organizations by country and by subject.