IVF survivorship, the IVF memoir and reproductive activism

This analysis of three in vitro fertilisation (IVF) memoirs, by Pamela Tsigdinos, Miriam Zoll and Jessica Hepburn asks what can be gleaned through this literary genre about the singular consumer journey around in vitro fertilisation experiences and ‘IVF survivorship’. I endeavour to show how these critical narratives serve to a) promote fertility awareness and education among consumers; b) showcase infertility as a feminist issue; and c) represent crucial sources of reproductive activism in the context of assisted reproductive technology (ART), markets and consumption. Overall, I demonstrate how the IVF memoir, an overlooked genre of ‘life writing’, is one that has much to teach marketing scholars about unpredictable consumption trajectories, consumer self-transformation and embodied health activism.