ABSTRACT
Originally developed to bypass the blocked or missing Fallopian tubes of infertile women, in vitro fertilization treatment has expanded to cases of male infertility due to poor sperm motility. In these cases, the woman may be physiologically normal reproductively, but nonetheless must undergo hormonal stimulation, sonargrams, and laparoscopy. The increasing popularity of the use of IVF treatment in cases of male infertility is understandable in the light of men's investment in biological parenting and women's willingness to take on the physiological responsibility for treatment. The aging of the baby boom generation and the postponement of childbearing in women who want to establish careers has increased the demand for treatment of infertility in this country. One writer calls the technology "collaborative reproduction", but also notes that all reproduction is collaborative. Extracorporeal conception exacerbates all of the tensions, conflicts, and potential for gender politics of sexual reproduction, both between the couple involved, and in the couple's interaction with the medical system.
