Reproductive Politics in Twentieth-Century France and Britain

Abstract

This special issue adopts a comparative approach to the politics of reproduction in twentieth-century France and Britain. The articles investigate the flow of information, practices and tools across national boundaries and between groups of experts, activists and laypeople. Empirically grounded in medical, news media and feminist sources, as well as ethnographic fieldwork, they reveal the practical similarities that existed between countries with officially different political regimes as well as local differences within the two countries. Taken as a whole, the special issue shows that the border between France and Britain was more porous than is typically apparent from nationally-focused studies: ideas, people and devices travelled in both directions; communication strategies were always able to evade the rule of law; contraceptive practices were surprisingly similar in both countries; and religion loomed large in debates on both sides of the channel.

The Influence of Abortion Law on the Frequency of Pregnancy Terminations—A Retrospective Comparative Study

“…A comparative study between abortion policies in France and the United Kingdom demonstrated that physicians and anti-abortion activists were the main elements of shaping the social awareness of abortion [ 26 ]. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children was established in 1967 and it is now the oldest anti-abortion organization worldwide.…”

Contraception and Catholicism in the Twentieth Century: Transnational Perspectives on Expert, Activist and Intimate Practices

“…Mobilising the press in order to disseminate information, they helped to influence policymakers, but also helped to communicate new knowledge to their patients in private settings. 30 For instance, in England, women doctors such as Helena Wright, Margaret 172 Agata Ignaciuk and Laura Kelly Jackson, Joan Malleson and Gladys Cox, played a significant role in the production and circulation of family planning information there, and to a lesser extent in France, between 1930 and1970. 31 Studies of family planning in European contexts, have similarly shown the importance of male doctors in debates around the contraceptive pill.…”

Doing and undoing nation through ART: a Franco–American comparison

“…France’s approach to ART must also be contextualized against its historical penchant for pronatalism in contrast to some European counterparts, particularly Britain ( Latham, 1998 , Olszynko-Gryn and Rusterholz, 2019 ). The French bioethics law, first framed in 1994, enshrined what bioethics scholars call the ‘French conservative approach’, which, among other things, limited ART access to heterosexual, cohabitating couples who are medically infertile; prohibited surrogacy; and prescribed strict anonymity in gamete donation.…”