Third-Party Reproduction: Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Commodification and Biopolitics

The purpose of this study is to investigate the issues that arise in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) through cross-border reproductive travel, the global trade in ova and the contracting of surrogates. The concern is around the commercialization and commodification of women and children, as well as the risks associated with the global for-profit ART industry. The project is divided into three case studies. First, the Canadian ART context shows that restrictive federal policy is challenged by transnational ART. The second case study reveals that international online fertility networks are created and located opportunistically in destination countries where surrogates and egg donors can be recruited. The last case study reveals a trend in some destination countries towards more restrictive ART legal frameworks. In conclusion, this thesis argues that the patterns of cross-border ART are shaped by government regulations and the local availability of egg donors and surrogates.