In Vitro Fertilization, a medical procedure where eggs are fertilized by sperm outside the body in a laboratory dish, then implanted in the uterus.
From Latin 'in vitro' meaning 'in glass', referring to fertilization occurring in laboratory glassware rather than naturally in the body. The term was coined in the 1970s when the first IVF procedures were developed, leading to the first 'test tube baby' in 1978.
The first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born in 1978 and was initially called a 'test tube baby' by the media, though the procedure actually uses petri dishes, not test tubes. IVF has since helped millions of people have children and led to advances in understanding human reproduction, genetic screening, and even stem cell research.
IVF emerged in 1978 as a reproductive technology that shifted control of conception from male-centered medical gatekeeping to enable women's autonomy in family planning. The term itself is neutral, but its history involves women's liberation movement advocacy and was initially resisted by patriarchal medical institutions.
Use factually; acknowledge that IVF primarily serves women's reproductive autonomy and bodily choice.
Women scientists and physicians (Steptoe, Edwards, and the women who participated in trials) pioneered IVF; credit women's agency in demanding reproductive choice.
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