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<p>Of countries where in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been widely implemented, Japan is distinct by the prominence of mild-stimulation IVF (mild IVF), which involves fewer medications and physical stress. It is framed as a ‘patient-friendly’ protocol in medical and public discourses. However, claims concerning friendliness are rarely examined through patients’ embodied experiences. This article employs qualitative methods, including email and virtual interviews with Japanese IVF patients and doctors, to examine two bodily experiences during the IVF egg retrieval stage: cycle repetition and painful encounters, questioning whether mild IVF truly cares for women. The findings reveal a significant inconsistency between patient-friendly medical claims and individual treatment experiences. Although mild IVF provides treatment with less physical burdens, it could also lead to twice as many repeated cycles and unmanaged discomfort, both intensified by the asymmetry of power and information at the medical site. This article contributes to care studies by illustrating the highly nuanced establishment of patient-centred care in IVF treatment. When IVF market across the global promotes ‘tailor-made’ treatment that seemingly posits patients at the centre, this article highlights the awareness of how care is framed and performed.</p>

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Endurance as a necessary path to reproduction? Repeating egg retrieval and painful encounters in Japanese mild approaches to in vitro fertilisation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月21日

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  • Pei-Chieh Hsu

摘要

Of countries where in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been widely implemented, Japan is distinct by the prominence of mild-stimulation IVF (mild IVF), which involves fewer medications and physical stress. It is framed as a ‘patient-friendly’ protocol in medical and public discourses. However, claims concerning friendliness are rarely examined through patients’ embodied experiences. This article employs qualitative methods, including email and virtual interviews with Japanese IVF patients and doctors, to examine two bodily experiences during the IVF egg retrieval stage: cycle repetition and painful encounters, questioning whether mild IVF truly cares for women. The findings reveal a significant inconsistency between patient-friendly medical claims and individual treatment experiences. Although mild IVF provides treatment with less physical burdens, it could also lead to twice as many repeated cycles and unmanaged discomfort, both intensified by the asymmetry of power and information at the medical site. This article contributes to care studies by illustrating the highly nuanced establishment of patient-centred care in IVF treatment. When IVF market across the global promotes ‘tailor-made’ treatment that seemingly posits patients at the centre, this article highlights the awareness of how care is framed and performed.