Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. Fertility centre websites are a key sources of information on medically assisted reproduction MAR for both infertile people and the general public.
As part of a global fertility market, they are also a window to attract potential future patients. They give formal and practical information but in the way the information is displayed, they also convey social representations, and in particular, gender representation in its intersectional dimension.
The objective is to analyse the sex, class and race representations regarding reproduction and parenthood that are embedded in the content of fertility centre websites in eight European countries. The 5 most visible fertility centres that appeared in the first places on Internet search were selected for each country under study, except for one country which has only three fertility centres.
In total, 38 fertility centre websites were considered for a thematic analysis using an iterative approach and a comprehensive perspective.
Each centre details its services and techniques according to the legal provisions in force in its country. However, on all the websites studied, the fertility centres demonstrate a strong gendered representation. The logos generally depict women or parts of their bodies, as do the photos, which mainly show white women with light eyes. The description of the causes of infertility and the techniques offered by the centres also highlights gender differences.
