IVF survivorship, the IVF memoir and reproductive activism

ABSTRACT

This analysis of three in vitro fertilisation (IVF) memoirs, by Pamela Tsigdinos, Miriam Zoll and Jessica Hepburn asks what can be gleaned through this literary genre about the singular consumer journey around in vitro fertilisation experiences and ‘IVF survivorship’. I endeavour to show how these critical narratives serve to a) promote fertility awareness and education among consumers; b) showcase infertility as a feminist issue; and c) represent crucial sources of reproductive activism in the context of assisted reproductive technology (ART), markets and consumption. Overall, I demonstrate how the IVF memoir, an overlooked genre of ‘life writing’, is one that has much to teach marketing scholars about unpredictable consumption trajectories, consumer self-transformation and embodied health activism.

KEYWORDS:

• IVF memoir
• assisted reproductive technologies
• in vitro fertilisation
• survivorship
• fertility awareness
• embodied health activism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. https://www.fertilityfest.com/our-mission).

2. https://emilysteinberg.com/section/395990-Broken-Eggs.html

3. https://emilysteinberg.com/artwork/4913929.html

4. https://www.myfertilityforum.com/, https://pregnantish.com/, https://www.ivfbabble.com/, https://thestorkandi.com/blog/

5. https://www.fertilityfest.com/our-mission

6. https://www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk/fei/

7. See http://www.miriamzoll.net/advocate/index.html

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Takhar

Jennifer Takhar is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Communication at ISG Business School and a research affiliate at Celsa, Paris 4 Sorbonne. Her research interests lie in Consumer Culture, digital identity politics, transhumanisms, biotechnologies, innovative research methods and articulating marketing dynamics through novel representational forms. Her work is attentive to the rhetorical and literary strategies used to persuade consumers. Jennifer has published on these subjects in marketing journals including Marketing Theory, the Journal of Marketing Management and Consumption, Markets & Culture.