Seminal: On Sperm, Health, and Politics

The complexities and controversies at the nexus of sperm, health, and politics

In Seminal, experts from across the social sciences, humanities, law, and medicine offer a kaleidoscopic view of the relationship between sperm, health, and the intersecting politics of gender, race, and reproduction. Always insightful and often provocative, the essays in this unprecedented collection cover a broad range of issues related to male reproductive and sexual health--including the latest technological developments for creating sperm; the specter of eugenics in contemporary medical markets; emerging approaches to male contraceptive methods, male infertility, and trans healthcare; controversies surrounding sperm donors and sperm banking; disparities in sexual health education for teens--all the while attending to the enormous variation in how individuals and societies understand, embody, and experience sperm.

At a time when the most basic rights of reproductive autonomy are under severe threat, contributors to this volume argue this is precisely the moment to rethink and reimagine sperm from a variety of medical, political, and cultural perspectives. Ultimately, this volume aims to contribute to a more reproductively just society and broaden conversations around bodies, health and equity in the United States.

Rene Almeling (Editor)
Rene Almeling is Professor of Sociology at Yale University. She is the award-winning author of GUYnecology: The Missing Science of Men’s Reproductive Health and Sex Cells: The Medical Market for Eggs and Sperm.

Lisa Campo-Engelstein (Editor)
Lisa Campo-Engelstein is Professor and Chair of Bioethics & Health Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Brian T. Nguyen (Editor)
Brian T. Nguyen is Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Southern California, where he is also Program Director for the Fellowship in Complex Family Planning.