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Who Deserves to Reproduce? Latvian State Support for Infertility and Moral Considerations

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
6 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article examines how access to state‐funded infertility treatment in Latvia is regulated and morally framed. The analysis draws on state regulatory documents concerning sexual and reproductive health in Latvia, as well as six semi‐structured interviews with Latvian politicians and reproductive health specialists. The findings reveal that eligibility for treatment is not based solely on biomedical criteria but is also shaped by normative assumptions about gender roles and moral worth. A dominant heteronormative framework positions women as central to reproduction, while men are often marginalised or excluded from state support. Furthermore, infertility treatment is described as a form of economic investment by the state, with an implicit expectation of demographic return. Importantly, reproductive health specialists and politicians do not present reproduction as a neutral or purely biological process, but rather frame it in moral terms, suggesting that there are specific, morally acceptable forms of reproduction.
Original languageEnglish
Article number10403
Number of pages16
JournalSocial Inclusion
Volume13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Sept 2025

Keywords*

  • gender
  • heteronormativity
  • infertility
  • Latvia
  • morality
  • policy
  • state
  • reproduction

Field of Science

  • 5.4 Sociology
  • 5.9 Other social sciences

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science

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  • RELATE.LV: State performance and biosocial relatedness

    Sedlenieks, K. (Project leader), Lūse, A. (Member of project working group), Saulītis, A. (Member of project working group), Kiščenko, D. (Member of project working group), Rolle, K. (Member of project working group), Šuvajevs, A. (Member of project working group), Žabicka, A. (Member of project working group), Nīgals, J. (Member of project working group) & Orinska, I. (Member of project working group)

    Latvian Council of Science

    1/01/19 → 1/12/20

    Project: Research and development projects financed by the Latvian state budget › Fundamental and Applied Research Projects

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