Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2025
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Psychology
Advisor
Michelle Fine
Committee Members
Dana-Ain Davis
Teresa Janevic
Diana Romero
Subject Categories
Other Psychology | Social Psychology
Keywords
assisted reproductive technologies, stratified reproduction, fertility, reproductive justice
Abstract
In the United States (U.S.), access to and utilization of fertility treatments are stratified along racial and socioeconomic lines. Black women experience higher incidences of infertility and are less likely to utilize assisted reproductive technologies to preserve their fertility compared to their white counterparts. This dissertation employs a qualitative approach to examine how the fertility landscape in the U.S. is a microcosm of broader power structures that position certain bodies at the top of hierarchies within the medical system, while marginalizing others, particularly Black reproductive bodies. Specifically, this research employs thematic analysis and quilting as arts-based methods to explore how Black women made meaning of their experiences with egg freezing. Drawing upon feminist epistemological frameworks, critical bifocality, reproductive justice, and stratified reproduction, this dissertation investigates the material, bodily, and psychological factors and constraints influencing Black women's access to fertility preservation services, as well as whether egg freezing can be regarded as a liberatory strategy aligned with reproductive justice for Black women.
Recommended Citation
Howell, Frances M., "Reproductive Liberation on Ice (?): A Qualitative Exploration of Black Women’s Egg Freezing Experiences" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6378
