From scarcity to sisterhood: The framing of egg donation on fertility clinic websites in the UK, Belgium and Spain

The use of third-party eggs now forms an integral part of a global reproductive bioeconomy. In order to meet clinics' growing need for donors, they employ a range of recruitment strategies including adverts for donors via their publicly facing websites. Such websites are also key sites for the articulation and popularisation of culturally specific narratives about egg donation and are therefore a rich source of data regarding the social, cultural and economic framing of bodily donation. Drawing on conceptualisations from literature on blood, organ and tissue donation we focus attention on what we refer to as egg donation ‘recruitment regimes’; exploring how nationally situated recruitment and marketing strategies are used by fertility clinics to frame ideas about egg donation. We use frame analysis to analyse 62 clinic websites in the UK, Spain and Belgium, connecting the framing of egg donation to the regulatory context of each country. Our data show that altruism and solidarity are dominant frames that underpin the supranational framing of egg provision within the EU. However, there are also important nationally specific differences that both reflect and produce different versions of egg donation. We describe three distinct and nationally specific ‘recruitment regimes’ which articulate different versions of egg donation: a ‘scarce gift with enduring responsibility’ in the UK, ‘disconnected tissue exchange’ in Belgium and ‘mutually beneficial sisterhood’ in Spain. These regimes contribute towards public imaginaries and shape egg donation as a social practice by creating opportunities for (some) women to give eggs in specific ways. These representations illustrate the complex entanglements of national policy, supranational regulation, cultural preferences and commercial priorities within the fertility treatment landscape

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Asthma management in British South Asian children: an application of the candidacy framework to a qualitative understanding of barriers to effective and accessible asthma care

BACKGROUND: In the UK, people of South Asian origin with asthma experience excess morbidity, with hospitalisation rates three times those of the majority White population and evidence suggests that South Asian children with asthma are more likely to suffer uncontrolled symptoms and hospital admissions with acute asthma compared to White British children. This paper draws on data from The Management and Interventions for Asthma (MIA) study to identify the operation of barriers to optimal care and good asthma control for South Asian children. METHODS: The MIA study followed a multi-phase, iterative, participatory design, underpinned by the socio-ecological model. Findings presented here are from face-to face, semi-structured interviews with South Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin) parents and carers of a child with asthma (n = 49). Interviews were conducted in English or relevant South Asian languages using specially trained community facilitators. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to the principles of interpretive thematic analysis, facilitated by the use of NVivo. RESULTS: Seven dimensions of candidacy are identified: identification of candidacy; navigation; the permeability of asthma services; appearances at health services; adjudications; offers and resistance and operating conditions in the local production of candidacy. The analysis demonstrates several ways in which a potential lack of alignment between the priorities and competencies of British South Asian families and the organization of health services combine to create vulnerabilities and difficulties in effectively managing childhood asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare systems have a responsibility to develop services that are sensitive and appropriate to the needs of their communities. In South Asian communities, further efforts are required to raise awareness of symptoms and effectively communicate how, when and where to seek help for children. There is a need for improved diagnosis and consistent, effectively communicated information, especially regarding medication. Parents made several suggestions for improving services: presentations about asthma at easily accessible community venues; an advice centre or telephone helpline to answer queries; opportunities for sharing experiences with other families; having information provided in South Asian languages; longer GP appointments; extended use of asthma nurses; and better education for healthcare professionals to ensure consistency of care and advice

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