Ross, E. orcid.org/0000-0002-5165-7649 (2024) Multiplying meanings of pregnancy through personal accounts of gestational trophoblastic disease. Body & Society, 30 (4). pp. 31-56. ISSN 1357-034X
Abstract
In cultures where reproduction is highly medicalised, pregnancy is often understood in terms of foetal development and an anticipated baby. This is connected to a wider privileging of the ‘foetal subject’ in these settings, which has had implications for reproductive autonomy. In this article, I disrupt dominant understandings of pregnancy by engaging with qualitative accounts of gestational trophoblastic disease. This rare condition can entail experiences of pregnancy without foetal development, allowing for scholarly attention to the wider biological, affective and relational constituents of this corporeal event. In this article, I pay particular attention to the ‘pregnancy hormone’ human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which in the context of gestational trophoblastic disease becomes a biomarker for disease. My research extends feminist science studies perspectives destabilising understandings of maternal and foetal bodies as bounded and distinct entities. The article de-centres foetal development as the most significant consequence of conception and enriches feminist discussions of reproductive politics.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: | |
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages. |
Keywords: | embodiment; gestational trophoblastic disease; hormones; human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG); pregnancy |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Sociological Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 18 Dec 2024 09:46 |
Last Modified: | 18 Dec 2024 09:46 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/1357034x241286356 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:220877 |