The Empty Cradle

An exploration into the origins of the many misconceptions surrounding infertility and examination of how medical and cultural beliefs emerged throughout the history of infertility. Drawing on a variety of sources - including intimate diaries and letters, patient records, memoirs, medical literature and popular magazines - the authors investigate the social, cultural, scientific and medical dimensions of infertility over the past 300 years. The authors discuss reactions - among both physicians and husbands - to the emerging scientific evidence that infertility was a condition for which men and women bear equal responsibility. The book concludes that infertility is still a subject affected by myth and misunderstanding. The work seeks to present a useful perspective to current debates about how we should think about and address the experience of infertility in our own time.