Procreative Compounds: Popular Eugenics, Artificial Insemination and the Rise of the American Sperm Banking Industry

This article traces the origins of arrangements for artificial insemination in the US & their evolution into the current array of sperm banks. The article simultaneously analyzes the assumptions about donor selection, that developed initially in relation to popular eugenic concepts & that ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social history 2004-09, Vol.38 (1), p.5-27
Main Authors: Daniels, Cynthia R, Golden, Janet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial Insemination
Eugenics
Fertility
Human reproductive technology
Parenting
Procreation
Public Opinion
Services
Social aspects
Social history
Sperm banks
U.S.A
United States of America
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Summary:This article traces the origins of arrangements for artificial insemination in the US & their evolution into the current array of sperm banks. The article simultaneously analyzes the assumptions about donor selection, that developed initially in relation to popular eugenic concepts & that have displayed strong continuities in more recent decades. By the end of the 20th century consumer beliefs, initially stimulated by physicians but now operating as an independent factor, strongly shaped sperm bank practices on the basis of misguided but deeply-rooted beliefs about heredity. 1 Table. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0022-4529
1527-1897
DOI:10.1353/jsh.2004.0081