Podcast Summary: Karen Weingarten, "Pregnancy Test" (Bloomsbury, 2023)

Podcast: New Books Network
Episode Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Yana Byers
Guest: Karen Weingarten, Professor of English at Queens College, CUNY

Episode Overview

This episode explores the unexpected social, medical, cultural, and political history of the pregnancy test, as detailed in Karen Weingarten’s book, Pregnancy Test (Bloomsbury, 2023), part of the “Object Lessons” series. The conversation traces the test’s evolution from a laboratory curiosity involving animal experimentation, through its commercialization and increasing home use, to its enormous symbolism and influence in today's culture and law. Weingarten and Byers also discuss the implications of who has access to "knowledge" about pregnancy, how the test has affected abortion rights and procedures, and the commodification of pregnancy in modern life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin of the Book and the Object Lessons Series

• Motivation & Fit (03:24):
  • Weingarten originally wrote a short essay on the history of the pregnancy test for Nursing Clio. The positive reception inspired her to delve further.
  • She pitched the idea to the Object Lessons series, which examines overlooked objects with rich social histories.
  • Quote (04:40):

    “Those of us who both want to reproduce and don't want to reproduce, have come to very much rely on this object... I just knew that there was going to be a story to tell there.” —Karen Weingarten

2. Personal and Scholarly Entry Points

• Personal Story (05:14):
  • Initial interest sharpened after her sister's experience with a “chemical pregnancy,” highlighting how the test is not as binary or clear-cut as people think.
  • The anecdote leads to questions—What is pregnancy? When does it begin?
  • Quote (06:54):

    “I had this... it made me realize that the pregnancy test, which we think of as this object that gives you a yes or no answer, you're pregnant or not pregnant, is actually far more complicated.” —Karen Weingarten

3. Historical Development: From Mice to Toes to Home

• Animal Testing Origins (08:00–12:31):
  • The first reliable test, developed in 1927 by German-Jewish scientists, required injecting urine into animals (first mice, then rabbits and toads).
  • The phrase “the rabbit died” originated as a euphemism for a positive pregnancy test.
  • Quote (10:32):

    “Every time someone would want to take a pregnancy test, they would need to kill the mouse... eventually, rabbits were used... that’s why the phrase ‘the rabbit died’ meant someone was pregnant.” —Karen Weingarten

4. Information, Power, and Control

• Medical Mediation (13:17–16:20):
  • Before home tests, confirming pregnancy was controlled by doctors, affecting access not only to information but also to abortion.
  • Stories emerged of doctors withholding test results or informing husbands first.
  • Quote (15:37):

    “Doctors telling husbands that their wives were pregnant before the women themselves actually knew... the pregnancy test was used as this tool of control...” —Karen Weingarten

5. Margaret (Meg) Crane and the Birth of the Home Pregnancy Test

• Crane’s Story (16:35–21:36):
  • Meg Crane, a designer, worked at Organon and saw potential for a home test after seeing the lab test’s simplicity.
  • She created a prototype despite resistance, sneaked it into a crucial meeting, and her design was ultimately chosen.
  • The story includes her partnership (life and business) with Iris (Ira) Durovant, the ad executive who championed her design.
  • Memorable Moment (18:59):

    “She sneaks into the meeting with her own prototype and adds it to the lineup... [Ira] looks at Meg’s test and is like, well, this is the only one that really makes sense.” —Karen Weingarten

6. Path to Commercialization, Regulatory Hurdles, and Spread

• Market and Regulation (24:06–26:31):
  • The test was first sold in Canada and the Netherlands due to U.S. regulatory concerns and political context (abortion was illegal in the U.S. pre-1973).
  • The U.S. market didn't get over-the-counter home tests until 1978.
  • In Canada, easier pharmacy access helped the test’s adoption.

7. The Stick: Technological Leap and Cultural Shift

• The “Stick” Revolution (26:48–29:52):
  • The “stick” type test (ELISA technology, like modern COVID-19 tests) became available in the 1980s—quicker, more reliable, cheaper.
  • This innovation normalized home testing and changed expectations about privacy and timing.
  • Quote (27:56):

    “With the invention of the stick pregnancy test... you only had to wait one or two minutes to get your results. And that was really transformative.” —Karen Weingarten

8. Rethinking “Pregnancy” and Political Impacts

• Implications for Law and Society (30:47–34:40):
  • Earlier testing has redefined what counts as “pregnant,” shifting legal debates (e.g., six-week abortion bans).
  • The moment a person can know has been brought drastically forward, changing medical, social, and legal expectations.
  • Quote (32:36):

    “If we remember that most people don't find out that they're pregnant until four or five weeks... giving someone just like a week or even just a few days to access an abortion... really redefines what pregnancy actually is.” —Karen Weingarten

9. Pregnancy, Commodification, and Social Media

• Cultural Pervasiveness (34:40–37:24):
  • Pregnancy testing has become part of a broader “pregnancy industry,” involving announcements, gender reveals, and influencer culture.
  • Test manufacturers actively market through celebrity partnerships on social media.
  • Quote (35:42):

    “Some of these home pregnancy companies actually pay celebrities to take home pregnancy tests and post their results on Instagram... it just feeds into this whole culture of commercializing, commodifying motherhood, commodifying pregnancy.” —Karen Weingarten

10. The Ubiquity of the Test in Contemporary Life

• Visual Language and Meaning (37:24–38:32):
  • The “stick” is now so ubiquitous it needs no explanation in popular media—its image universally reads as "pregnancy."
  • Memorable TV Example:
    Master of None (Aziz Ansari): A wordless scene where two characters look at a test, immediately meaning is apparent.

11. Conclusion and Future Work

• Next Projects (38:59):
  • Weingarten is working on a Penguin Classics anthology about representations of abortion in literature before Roe v. Wade, aiming to trace evolving discourses.

Notable Quotes

• On the object’s story:

  “I wanted to look at this object, the pregnancy test, and kind of tell, explore, research and then share that information with readers...” —Karen Weingarten (03:52)

• On early animal tests:

  “The toad… would ovulate if you injected it with urine, with HCG, it would just… the eggs would come out… you didn’t need to kill the toad, but you did have to keep many, many toads in an aquarium.” —Karen Weingarten (12:15)

• On the shift of knowledge/power:

  “Everything had to be mediated through doctors… labs wouldn’t release the information to women directly.” —Karen Weingarten (15:45)

• On the cultural impact:

  “You see it everywhere on social media… the pregnancy test becomes like another status symbol, another marker of announcing pregnancy.” —Karen Weingarten (35:37)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------| | Series and Book Motivation | 03:24 | | Personal & Scholarly Entry Points | 05:07 | | The “Rabbit Died” and Animal Testing History | 08:00 | | Knowledge, Power & Control | 13:17 | | The Meg Crane Story | 16:35 | | Barriers and Canada/Netherlands Market | 24:06 | | The “Stick” and Home Testing Revolution | 26:48 | | Redefining Pregnancy in Law & Society | 30:47 | | Commodification & Social Media | 34:40 | | The Ubiquitous Image of the Stick | 37:24 | | What’s Next for Weingarten | 38:59 |

Episode Tone

The conversation mixes light and lively storytelling (Crane sneaking into meetings, the design debate between “frilly” prototypes and practicality), with the gravity of broader cultural and political themes (control over women's bodies, the abortion debate, commodification of personal moments). Both participants are engaged and knowledgeable, with Weingarten providing nuanced historical context and personal anecdotes.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode offers a fascinating, easily accessible history of an everyday object that has transformed liberties, privacy, medical care, and gender politics. It’s ideal for anyone interested in gender, science, health, or cultural studies—with the compelling narrative of scientific discovery, personal agency, political control, and evolving social ritual at its core.