Reproductive Technologies: From emancipatory potential to selection and exploitation

Reproductive technologies, or assisted reproductive technologies (ART), encompass a wide range of medical treatments and surgical procedures that enable people to have children without the necessity for heterosexual intercourse. The use of ART has steadily increased since the 1990s, with nearly two million treatment cycles reported worldwide in 2017 alone.

Initially, reproductive technologies were primarily intended for heterosexual couples who were unable to have a child, but for some years now they have also been used to enable childbearing at an older age or within queer relationships and other alternative family forms. However, in many cases queer individuals continue to be discriminated against legally and financially, and in general the use of reproductive technologies is highly dependent on socioeconomic factors.