 | Priya Satalkar Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London |
-
01.02.2019-27.02.2019
Social Translation and Adaptation of Reproductive Technology (START): An interdisciplinary socio-ethical investigation of social egg freezing in urban India
The goal of this research project is to contribute to the theories of social translation of medical/reproductive technologies by investigating translation of social egg freezing in urban India as a case study. To achieve this aim, I propose three components consisting of (A) a scoping review of scholarly and grey literature on social egg freezing, (B) generation of a theory of social translation using grounded theory methodology built on in-depth interviews with 30 key informants, and (C) the analysis of existing regulatory framework governing social egg freezing in India.
The goal of this research project is to contribute to the theories of social translation of medical/reproductive technologies by investigating translation of social egg freezing in urban India as a case study.
My research is situated in an Indian context characterized by fertility clinics’ commercial interest, the recent surge in the promotion and use of oocyte cryopreservation for non-medical reasons, the loosely regulated practice of obstetricians and IVF experts, and the lack of scholarly literature on social egg freezing. Health care providers play a critical role in the translation and uptake of novel medical/reproductive technologies in India. In the absence of a clear regulatory framework or guidance from Indian professional bodies, health care professionals are left to form their own opinion and risk being biased by the potential for personal financial gain. Hence, it is important to investigate their knowledge and personal and professional opinions about the utility and scope of social egg freezing in Indian context, and their reflections on the ethical and social implications, which is the starting point for my research project.
Previous