Abstract

Women's choices over their reproductive parts and destiny were controlled in the past by men, and while many believe that reproductive power presently resides in the hands of women, I believe that this is not the case. In this thesis I will examine the reproductive technology, in- vitro fertilization and its effects on women. My intention is to bring to the forefront the social factors responsible for a woman's desire to bear children, and how these factors shape and determine her happiness and self-worth. I believe that the medical description and treatment of infertility as a diseased condition aids in the destructive mind-set that shapes an infertile woman's life. It is from this foundation that I ground my arguments for the restricted use of IVF. This thesis also examines the physical, emotional and psychological risks of IVF and the irrationality of spending money on a technology that does not actually help women. I also argue for the need of a radical reconstruction of women's identities; a reconstruction both shaped and created by women, hence liberating women from their often unacknowledged oppressed condition.Dept. of Philosophy.