Fertility apps, datafication and knowledge production in reproductive health.

Despite being the target of much criticism, commercialised digital technologies have proliferated in reproductive health arenas. Fertility applications (apps) are now some of the most popular and ubiquitous digital health tracking technologies, with millions of downloads. Previous scholarship has already underlined the problematic nature of their design and surveillance features.

Analysing adherence to guidelines for time-lapse imaging information on UK fertility clinic websites.

This study aims to systematically analyze the provision of information on Time-lapse Imaging (TLI) by UK fertility clinic websites. We conducted an analysis of 106 clinic websites that offer fertility treatment to self-funded patients. The analysis aimed to examine whether these clinics offer TLI, the associated cost for patients, and the clarity and quality of the provided information.

Predicting Success in the Embryology Lab: The Use of Algorithmic Technologies in Knowledge Production.

This article analyzes local algorithmic practices resulting from the increased use of time-lapse (TL) imaging in fertility treatment. The data produced by TL technologies are expected to help professionals pick the best embryo for implantation. The emergence of TL has been characterized by promissory discourses of deeper embryo knowledge and expanded selection standardization, despite professionals having no conclusive evidence that TL improves pregnancy rates.

Accounting for complexity in healthcare innovation debates: Professional views on the use of new IVF treatments.

Social scientists have long been interested in the forces and values driving healthcare innovation. The simultaneous rise of 20th century healthcare reforms, increased importance of evidence and upsurge in lay health activism have shaped modern medicine. On this backdrop, fertility care emerged in the 1970s.

Enacting evidence-based medicine in fertility care: Tensions between commercialisation and knowledge standardisation.

In this article we explore the recent enactment of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the field of fertility care. We aim to contribute to the medical sociology literature through an analysis of how evidence is produced, interpreted and institutionalised in a relatively new medical field such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), characterised by high uncertainty due to limited knowledge and high levels of commercialisation. Drawing on extensive ethnographic research conducted in England, this article explores the challenges IVF professionals encounter in producing credible data on the effectiveness of additional treatments, offering novel insights on the tensions between commercialisation and standardisation in the enactment of EBM.

The trouble with IVF and randomised control trials: Professional legitimation narratives on time-lapse imaging and evidence-informed care.

Focusing on the case of time-lapse imaging (TLI), this paper analyses how medical professionals negotiate the use of new 'add-on' fertility treatments in light of the limited evidence available. The data produced by TLI technologies is meant to help professionals identify the best embryo to be implanted. Embryo selection is essential in IVF practice for increasing pregnancy rates and reducing the negative effects of repeated failures.

"One Blood Clot Is One Too Many": Affected Vocal Users' Negative Perspectives on Controversial Oral Contraceptives.

In this article, I analyze women's negative experiences with the fourth generation of contraceptive pills: controversial drugs Yaz and Yasmin. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 24 contraceptive users residing in Canada, I highlight how women who have experienced deleterious side effects understand the risks of hormonal contraception and advocate for changes in health risk communication and prescription drug regulation. Findings show that interviewees did not feel they received adequate risk information prior to starting their new drug regimen nor did they think that pregnancy risks should be used as a comparison point for placing hormonal contraceptive risk into perspective.

Pregnancy is more dangerous than the pill: A critical analysis of professional responses to the Yaz/Yasmin controversy.

The fourth and most recent generation of hormones used in oral contraceptives has stirred a significant amount of debate regarding the safety of these compounds. Drospirenone, a new type of synthetic hormone used in popular oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin, has been found by epidemiologists to increase the risk of blood clots when compared to the previous generations of pills. North American regulatory bodies have investigated the health risks of drospirenone and concluded that the increased risks do not require pulling the new contraceptive technology off the market.