Cosmopolitan Conceptions

Marcia C. Inhorn is William K. Lanman Jr. Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs in the Department of Anthropology and The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University. She is the coeditor of Medical Anthropology at the Intersections: Histories, Activisms, and Futures, also published by Duke University Press.

• Illustrations  ixPrologue. Rahnia's Reproductive Journey  xiIntroduction. IVF Sojourns  11. Hubs: Medical Cosmopolitanism in the Emirates  35Hubs: Reprotravel Stories  772. Absences: Resource Shortages and Waiting Lists  105Absences: Reprotravel Stories  1383. Restrictions: Religious Bans and Law Evasion  159Restricitions: Reprotravel Stories  1974. Discomforts: Medical Harm and the Search for High-Quality IVF  221Discomforts: Reprotravel Stories  255Conclusion. Cosmopolitan Conceptions  287Acknowledgments  305Glossory of Medical Terms  311Notes  321References  351Index  371

"Cosmopolitan Conceptions offers a fresh and much needed perspective on global infertility.... This book is a crucial read for those interested in the politics of reproduction, parenthood, kinship, globalization, the use of technologies, modernization, and the Middle East.... Inhorn has created a provocative account of infertile couples’ quests for a child, which not only contributes to scholarly discussions, but also to public debates about infertility and treatment and the global movement of knowledge and technologies." - Cortney Hughes Rinker (Middle East Journal) "This book truly does take the reader into the 'womb' of a cosmopolitan IVF clinic and the reprotravelers who are its clientele. It is a must read for students of anthropology, medicine, women’s history, whether or not they are involved in research on human reproduction. This is a must read for NGOs, ministries of health, medical practitioners, and others who are deeply committed, particularly in noncosmopolitan states, to working for the improvement of women’s maternal and reproductive health. I highly recommend this enlightening, ethnographically rich and deeply compassionate book." - Naomi M. McPherson (Anthropology Book Forum) "This outstanding and readable book is equally valuable for interdisciplinary scholars, global reproductive justice advocates, and infertility caregivers." - Laury Oaks (American Anthropologist) "What strikes me most, as an anthropologist also engaged in the uphill struggle of tracing varied global reproductive travel routes, is Inhorn’s uncanny ability to truly engage with her informants. She embodies the cultural cosmopolitanism of which she writes. Her empathic nature and ability to speak with couples from all over the world reveals her skills of engaging with people-the heart of the anthropological endeavor." - Amy Speier (Medical Anthropology Quarterly) "This well-written and powerful book can and should be read by a wide audience." - Susie Kilshaw (Journal of International and Global Studies) "Inhorn has a sure grasp on global infertility issues and uses her rich empirical data to argue for better, and fairer, provision of ARTs across the world.... The great strength of Cosmopolitan Conceptions is Inhorn’s ability to give voice to her informants."- Katharine Dow (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute)