Inclusion, Exclusion, Anticipation: How the Politics of Intimate Relationships Structure Innovation

Abstract

The politics of intimate relationships structure innovation for sexual and reproductive health technologies. In this chapter I present three case studies that explore how national political concerns surrounding maternal intentions and the race of sexual women shape the production of sexual and reproductive health technologies. The products I examine are: GONAL-F, a subcutaneous injection of follitropin alpha for ovulation induction; Evra, a transdermal patch containing norelgestromin (NGM) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) for hormonal contraception; and zidovudine (ZDV) for HIV therapy, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Together, these case studies illustrate how the politics of intimate relationships, which are deeply engrained in societies, structure clinical innovation, through conditions of inclusion, exclusion and anticipation.

Citation

Whitacre, R. (2022), "Inclusion, Exclusion, Anticipation: How the Politics of Intimate Relationships Structure Innovation", Boydell, V. and Dow, K. (Ed.) Technologies of Reproduction Across the Lifecourse (Emerald Studies in Reproduction, Culture and Society), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 247-259. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-733-620221021