Podcast Summary: New Books Network

Episode: Donna J. Drucker, "Fertility Technology" (MIT Press, 2023)

Host: Caleb Zakrin
Guest: Donna J. Drucker
Date: December 29, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Caleb Zakrin interviews historian Donna J. Drucker about her new book, Fertility Technology, part of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series. The conversation explores the historical evolution, social implications, legal and ethical complexities, and contemporary landscape of fertility technologies. Drucker provides insight into how such technologies have shaped concepts of family and discusses the future of fertility research.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Donna J. Drucker’s Background

• Academic Profile: PhD in history from Indiana University; research focuses on the intersection of science, technology, gender, and sexuality.
• Previous Work: Has written on Alfred Kinsey, contraception, and now fertility technologies.
  • “It’s a intersection in human history that continues to fascinate me.” (Drucker, 02:47)

Origins and Motivation for the Book

• Pandemic Project: The book emerged as a way to stay engaged during COVID-19 lockdowns in Germany.
• From Contraception to Fertility: Inspired by seeing both sides of reproductive science.

Early History of Fertility Technology

• First Artificial Insemination:
  • J. Marion Sims, notorious for experimental practices, performed the first documented artificial insemination in the 1850s in New York.
  • “He would syringe the semen out of the woman’s vagina and then reinsert it further beyond the cervix in the hope…that the sperm would be more likely to implant an egg.” (Drucker, 04:49)
• Spread of Technique: Became a routine but discreet part of gynecology in Western countries.

Reasons for Seeking Fertility Technologies

• Initial Users: Mostly heterosexual married couples with unexplained infertility.
• Broader Access: Expanded to same-sex couples, singles, those with gynecological diseases, as legal and social barriers decreased.
  • “It started out as a mechanism for heterosexual couples, but it’s broadly expanded to a lot of other folks.” (Drucker, 07:25)

Early Diagnostic and Treatment Approaches (pre-IVF)

• Insufflation and Salpingogram: Diagnostic methods to detect blocked fallopian tubes; described as uncomfortable but informative.
• Hormone Injections: Popular in the 1930s, though not always effective.
• Ovulation Timing:
  • Discovery in 1920s-30s (Ogino and Knaus); led to “rhythm method” adopted by the Catholic Church.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

• Development: Advanced in UK by Patrick Steeptoe, Robert Edwards, and Jean Purdy; first successful IVF birth was Louise Brown in 1978.
  • “The first birth of an IVF baby was Louise Brown…The birth happened in July of 1978. It was a major world event.” (Drucker, 13:25)
• Global Expansion: Subsequent developments in India and Australia, launching widespread use of IVF.

Legal and Ethical Complexities

• Religious and Social Objections:
  • Concerns about fertilization outside the womb, potential for misuse by physicians, and questions about the status of embryos.
    • "There may first of all be people...who have religious objections to fertilization outside the womb..." (Drucker, 16:28)
  • Rare but real cases of doctors using their own sperm without consent.
• Genetic Screening: Ethical debates over discarding embryos with genetic defects; issues of embryo “rights.”
• Savior Siblings: Creating a child for therapeutic use for a sick sibling—rare but ethically fraught.
  • “Somebody, you’re basically existing because your sibling was sick. So there are some definite restrictions around producing siblings in that regard.” (Drucker, 16:28)

Changing Nature of Family and Kinship

• New Family Models: Fertility technology enables non-traditional structures.
  • Example: Same-sex female couple and male donor co-parenting; the term "spunkle" (sperm uncle) emerges.
    • “He’s not just a donor...He becomes part of their family...spunkle, so sperm uncle.” (Drucker, 21:08)
• Increasing Diversity: Greater visibility and acceptance of non-heteronormative family constellations.

State of Current and Future Fertility Technologies

• Technological Plateau:
  • Biggest recent breakthrough: Time-lapse imaging of embryonic development (UK, ~last 10 years).
    • “One of the major innovations…is time lapse imaging…to decide which embryos look the healthiest.” (Drucker, 23:51)
  • Last major procedure-level innovation was ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) in 1993.
    • “That happened 30 years ago…that was 1993. And so, with the exception of the imaging, what a lot of fertility companies are doing is encouraging people to purchase these different kinds of, what are called add ons.” (Drucker, 23:51)
• Commercialization Trend:
  • The surge in fertility “add-ons” marketed to consumers; businesses packaging services (egg freezing, storage, “uterine scratching,” etc.), especially in the less-regulated US market.
    • “We’re not seeing as much innovation on the technical side, more along the business side…especially in the US.” (Drucker, 23:51)

Resources for Further Learning

• Recommended Resource:
  • Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in the UK for up-to-date, regulated, accessible information about fertility technologies and efficacy of various add-ons.
    • “I think it’s a well-organized, easy-to-read website that keeps track of developments in fertility technology that readers will appreciate regardless of where they are.” (Drucker, 27:46)

Upcoming Projects

• Next Book: Writing a history of abortion (1860s–present) for Reaction Books. Interested in possibly exploring menopause in future writing.

Memorable Quotes

• On the need for public understanding:

  • "If people knew more about the technologies involved and more about the background, we could have a saner public debate."
    — Caleb Zakrin, 02:21

• On the origins of artificial insemination:

  • “This type of experiment may have happened before, but this was the first time someone had written about it.”
    — Donna Drucker, 04:49

• On family transformation:

  • "I think it changes how people think of who families are and how they can come about."
    — Donna Drucker, 21:08

• On ethical concerns:

  • "The question is whether that embryo, fertilized embryo, has any rights as a human."
    — Donna Drucker, 16:28

• On trends in innovation:

  • "More of the innovation recently has come in the business side of fertility rather than the technology side."
    — Donna Drucker, 23:51

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:47] Drucker’s background and path to writing the book
• [04:49] First artificial insemination and Sims’ role
• [07:25] Who seeks fertility technology and how the use of such technology has diversified
• [09:21] Early diagnostic techniques and hormonal treatments, preceding IVF
• [13:25] The development and mechanics of IVF
• [16:28] Legal and ethical complexities of modern fertility technologies
• [21:08] Changing concepts of family and the phenomenon of the “spunkle”
• [23:51] Newest advancements and the commercialization of fertility technology
• [27:46] Resources for non-experts and advice for further reading
• [29:08] Drucker’s current and future research projects

Tone and Language

The discussion is highly accessible, clear, and factual, with a balanced and engaged tone. Drucker brings historical context and contemporary relevance; Zakrin steers the conversation toward pressing social and ethical debates without sensationalism.

This episode is an insightful primer for anyone interested in the science, history, and societal shifts driven by fertility technology, effectively bridging academic knowledge with the lived realities and choices of modern families.