The Empty Cradle: Infertility in America from Colonial Times to the Present.

Abstract

This history of infertility, and the social phenomenon of how Americans have reacted to it, describes the emotional and medical experiences of childless couples who seek help for infertility. It utilizes a variety of sources, such as memoirs, patient records, medical textbooks, scholarly journals, personal letters and women's magazines, in order to correct certain assumptions about infertility. Many of the modern medical techniques used to treat infertility are shown as having been around for a long time - donor insemination was first carried out as early as the mid-19th century, while the first ovarian transplantation took place in the later 19th century. The role of gender is examined, and the authors argue that although infertility is a condition for which men and women bear equal responsibility, women have been subjected to a disproportionate share of the blame and treatment.

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