The new reproductive technology: problem or solution?

New reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilisation, have been the subject of heated debate among academics, medical ethicists and policy makers. This paper examines the literature of physicians, infertile consumers of the technology and feminist critics, and argues that differences in the meaning of procreation are at the root of the debate. Physicians see it as a sphere of professional intervention; consumers focus on genetic transmission; and feminist critics see procreation as a locus for struggle over women's autonomy. Given these different meanings of procreation, empirical data and logical arguments will not resolve the conflict over reproductive technology.