About this episode

Alev Scott discusses the complexities and ethical dilemmas of the global fertility industry.

Social media ads for egg freezing. A craigslist-like site for breast milk. Fertility fairs featuring IVF clinics alongside shamanic nutritionists. Surrogacy contracts offering a discount for multiple embryos. The rapidly-growing global fertility industry promises hope, fulfillment, and control, as long as you can afford it. Participating in this industry can be empowering. All parts of reproduction are commodified these days, so why not use your free will to take advantage of that, whether through selling breast milk or freezing your eggs? But the global fertility industry is also blatantly exploitative, preying on those who are desperate and vulnerable in order to maximize profits. In  Cash Cow: How the Maternal Body Became a Global Commodity - and the Hidden Costs for Women , author and journalist Alev Scott explores that blurred line between empowerment and exploitation in this globally varied industry. Her reporting takes her through the underbelly of the breast milk market, the complicated world of fertility tourism, and the legal and emotional turmoil of surrogacy. As she describes, the morality, legality, and expenses of different procedures are a moving target across…

People in this episode

Guest: Alev Scott

Topics covered

• fertility industry
• empowerment vs exploitation
• breast milk market
• fertility tourism
• surrogacy
• reproductive rights

Keywords

• egg freezing
• breast milk
• fertility fairs
• IVF
• surrogacy contracts
• commodification
• exploitation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cash Cow, IVF clinics, shamanic nutritionists, breast milk market, fertility tourism, surrogacy

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