More Than a Biological Condition: The Heteronormative Framing of Infertility

Abstract

Infertility is often framed from the perspective of heterosexual couples, the dominant patient group using reproductive technologies. However, there are many types of patients availing of fertility treatments and those patients are often overlooked in policy, planning, service provision, and research. This commentary demonstrates the need for further research into LGBT subgroups, who frequently fall outside of infertility discourses, and are therefore especially disadvantaged by current policy and fertility service structures.

LGBTQ+ Family Expansion in the Age of COVID-19: A Brief Report

“…3) Medical and insurance-based definitions of infertility should include all families who are unable to conceive without the aid of medical assistance. Maxwell et al 50 argue that the heteronormative framing of infertility treatment excludes LGBTQ+ people from accessing care and financial incentives offered to cis-het couples, such as tax rebates for fertility treatments. Lo and Campo-Engelstein 1 describe how "social infertility" of LGBTQ+ people should be cause for insurance companies and states with infertility insurance mandates to update their coverage definitions and increase access to care.…”