Testing women, testing the fetus : the social impact of amniocentesis in America

Rayna Rapp, one of the leading feminist anthropologists in the United States, explores the complex and contradictory nature of prenatal diagnosis and its social impact and cultural meaning through the narratives of the people who have experienced it. Rich with the voices and stories of participants, these touching firsthand accounts examine how women of diverse racial, ethnic, class and religious backgrounds perceive prenatal testing. These moral issues have prompted complex questions such as:* What do women want and not want from technology in pregnancy?* What conditions are 'worth' an abortion?* How do women receiving a 'bad' diagnosis cope with their ultimate decisions?