The politics of Danish IVF : Reproducing the nation by making parents through selective reproductive technologies

In this article, we look at how the politics of reproduction take form in Denmarkwhen people are denied access to IVF. Approaching IVF as a selectivereproductive technology, we explore IVF’s selective potential in terms ofreproductive governance and reproductive citizenship by analyzing decisions bythe Danish State Administration about whether people get access to IVF or not.For that purpose, we had access to assessments of people’s inability to parent thatare required by law in case doubts about a person’s ability to parent arise whenthey seek treatment with IVF in Denmark. Through this analysis, we identifythree parenthood and citizenship ideals that characterize reproductive governanceand the politics of reproduction in Denmark: (1) the medically sane/sober selfwhose parenting and societal decisions are not influenced by self-alteringmedical diagnoses and/or treatment, (2) the independent, capable, and productiveself that pursues a meaningful life in societal terms, and (3) the responsible selfthat actively invests into reproductive futures. Based on this analysis, we arguethat people are unduly excluded from reproduction if they are identified as notliving up to these ideals because of the intersections of their gendered, bodily,social, and economic positioning