Mobile phones, non-human agents at the service of assisted reproduction: monitoring and gendered dual allegiance

Abstract For sub-Saharan women enrolled in a protocol for assisted reproductive technology (ART), the use of mobile phones entails dual allegiance: toward services medicine and their transnational family. Indispensable medically monitoring women’s bodies, phone enters process producing female gametes contributes to gender asymmetry typical biomedicalized procreation. It is also used maintain contacts with family members who, from distance, obtrude woman’s life. The extends biomedical power over body into her everyday life normative reproduction. Paradoxically, telephone allows collateral relatives support woman seeking reproduction assistance while “hypermedicalizing” daily Also paradoxically, this companion conductive individual autonomy being new forms surveillance control. data come fieldwork conducted greater Paris area between 2011 2013 within network ART professionals patients.