Our Bodies Our Blog
Occasional posts examining the intersection between health, politics, and reproductive justice.
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- Reproductive Technology & Genetic Engineering
Egg Donation is Made to Look Easy, but Questions and Health Risks Remain
July 3, 2013
First in a series on egg donors and the egg donation process. Recently, a former co-worker and his romantic partner sent me…
Single Embryo Transfer Recommended in Most IVF Procedures
June 13, 2013
The process of in vitro fertilization — in which embryos are created outside a woman’s body and then implanted in her uterus — has become…
Angelina Jolie, Breast Cancer, and You: How to Make the Right Decisions for YOUR Health
May 17, 2013
Angelina Jolie certainly has good intentions in sharing her experience with breast cancer genetic testing and her decision to have a prophylactic…
Truth in Medicine: Vast Majority of Assisted Reproductive Technologies Fail
May 16, 2013
In an essay recently published in the Wall Street Journal, Sarah Elizabeth Richards, author of the new book “Motherhood Rescheduled,” encourages women…
“Cracked Open”: New Book Looks at Fertility and Reproductive Technology
April 30, 2013
Our Bodies Ourselves board member Miriam Zoll has a new book coming out on May 1, “Cracked Open: Liberty, Fertility and the…
Supreme Court Hears Case Against Myriad Genetics: Why Patents Hurt Women’s Health
April 18, 2013
[youtube]http://youtu.be/o_KS3Bcc9I8[/youtube] On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the lawsuit against Myriad Genetics, challenging the company’s right to hold patents…
“Can We See the Baby Bump, Please?”: Film on Commercial Surrogacy in India Screens in Boston
April 17, 2013
Update: A second public event has been added, also co-sponsored by Our Bodies Ourselves: “Systemic Violence or Informed Consent? The Politics of…
What’s Wrong With Fertility Clinics and Online Advertising
April 3, 2013
Did you know the United States and New Zealand are the only nations that permit direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical ads? A decade ago, Kaiser…
Rally at the Supreme Court – Breast Cancer Gene Case to be Heard Next Month
March 15, 2013
Arguments are scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on April 15 on the Myriad Genetics case, which will challenge patents…
Some Doctors Use Risky Drug, Aiming to Shape Girls’ Genitals and Behaviors
December 19, 2012
Dr. Mark Sloan, a pediatrician based in northern California, has written a very helpful overview of a controversial fetal engineering intervention: prenatal…
Our Bodies Ourselves Goes to Nepal: Women’s Health Activists Discuss Cross-Border Surrogacy
December 13, 2012
Women in Udaipur, eastern Nepal with WOREC founder Dr. Renu Rajbhandari (far left) and the OBOS Nepali booklets to which they contributed…
Take Back Our Genes Campaign Fights Restrictive Gene Patenting
March 2, 2012
The American Civil Liberties Union has launched the “Take Back Our Genes” campaign to fight against issuing patents issued human genes. The…
BRCA Genes and Cancer Outcomes
December 21, 2011
You may have seen recent news coverage along the lines of “BRCA variants not tied to worse cancer outcomes.” This story refers…
Canadian Court Ruling Allows Donor Offspring to Find Biological Parents
May 23, 2011
Many of us have at least heard of controversies over open vs. closed adoption laws, and the efforts by many to make…
Understanding Genetic Information and Privacy Concerns
December 15, 2010
If you follow much health news, you’ve probably noticed the expansion of genetic testing in recent years. Individuals with enough disposable income…
Breast Cancer Gene Patents Invalidated
April 5, 2010
Last summer, we shared that OBOS had joined an ACLU lawsuit challenging breast and ovarian cancer gene patents. Briefly, the ACLU and…
More Research on Risks of Birth Impairments with Assisted Reproduction
December 16, 2009
The November issue of the journal Fertility & Sterility includes an article that attempts to determine whether assisted reproductive technology (ART, or…
Considering the Risks of Egg Donation
October 21, 2009
Earlier this month, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into a law a bill, AB 1317, which requires advertisements seeking egg donors for…
Stories: Women Write About Infertility and Pregnancy Loss
August 26, 2009
Last year, in an article published at Our Bodies Ourselves, freelance writer and registered nurse Jen Dozer wrote about the emotional effects of pregnancy…
June 22, 2009
This Week’s Super Fun Health Reform Graphic: The award goes to The New York Times for the multi-tab Key Challenges in the…
OBOS Joins ACLU Lawsuit Challenging Breast and Ovarian Cancer Gene Patents
June 4, 2009
We’ve written previously about the ACLU’s concern about gene patents, especially regarding the possibility that “high licensing and diagnostic testing fees that…
