Enacting (In)Fertilities: Non-Biomedical Technologies and Medical Pluralism in Sweden

Drawing on gender studies and medical anthropology, my project investigates fertility and infertility care in Sweden beyond conventional medicine.

In a country where assisted reproductive technologies are state-subsidized (with certain limitations), many individuals nonetheless turn to non-biomedical methods such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, fertility yoga and healing. Yet, studies on (in)fertility in the Global North have focused almost exclusively on biomedical technologies. Practitioners who focus on methods outside of conventional medicine for treating infertility or enhancing fertility, and individuals who consciously opt for methods other than assisted reproductive technologies, are excluded from using them, or combine different therapeutic practices, have largely remained at the sidelines of scholarly attention.