God's Laboratory
Assisted Reproduction in the Andes

An ethnography of in vitro fertilization in Ecuador. It shows how having children through biotechnological intervention is not only tolerated, it is embraced by the population, despite widespread poverty and official condemnation by the Catholic Church.

This clearly written account offers a grounded introduction to debates in science studies and medical anthropology, as well as nuanced ethnography of the mingling of science, religion, and history in Andean family life.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Cast of Characters Preface
Introduction: Reproductive Assistance Corporeal Punishment: Sandra 1. Private Medicine and the Law of Life Crazy for Bingo: Consuelo 2. Assisted Whiteness Yo Soy Teresa la Fea/Ugly Teresa 3. White Beauty: Gamete Donation in a Mestizo Nation When Blood Calls: Frida and Anabela 4. Egg Economies and the Traffic between Women Abandonment: Vanessa 5. On Ice: Embryo Destinies Conclusion: Care-Worthy
Notes References Index