Abstract: Medical Anthropology QuarterlyVolume 24, Issue 2 p. 137-156 "Trying" Times: Medicalization, Intent, and Ambiguity in the Definition of Infertility Arthur L. Greil, Arthur L. Greil Division of Social Sciences, Alfred UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorJulia McQuillan, Julia McQuillan Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska at LincolnSearch for more papers by this author Arthur L. Greil, Arthur L. Greil Division of Social Sciences, Alfred UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorJulia McQuillan, Julia McQuillan Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska at LincolnSearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 May 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1387.2010.01094.xCitations: 38Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Abstract Researchers studying infertility from the perspective of anthropology and other the social sciences seldom examine the assumptions embedded in the biomedical definition of infertility. Implicit in the biomedical definition is the assumption that people can be divided straightforwardly into those who are trying to conceive and those who are not trying to conceive. If being infertile implies "intent to conceive," we must recognize that there are various degrees of intent and that the line between the fertile and the infertile is not as sharp as is usually imagined. Drawing on structured interview data collected from a random sample of Midwestern U.S. women and from qualitative interviews, we demonstrate that that there is a wide range of intent among those classified as infertile according to the biomedical definition. We explore the implications of this for research. References Cited Abma, Jill, Anjani Chandra, William A. Mosher, Linda S. Peterson, and Linda J. Piccinino 1997 Fertility, Family Planning, and Women's Health: New Data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital and Health Statistics 23(19): 1– 114. 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