Like many people, I enjoy listening to a good podcast during train rides, walks, or free moments. Because of this, I'm drawn to informative yet engaging shows that I can dip in and out of while still learning something new; the latest series of Prognosis 'Misconception' was just this. Over four episodes, host Kristen Brown, recounts her experience with fertility medicine in the USA while simultaneously uncovering the functions and flaws of this continuously expanding industry.
This is not the first science podcast produced by Prognosis, Bloomberg News' health and business branch, and previous seasons have uncovered topics from vaccines to weight loss. Brown herself is a science journalist, who has reported on similar themes, including menopause and genome editing. But in 'Misconception', Brown takes a personal, hands-on approach, offering us an inside look into the realities of egg freezing and IVF.
'Misconception' stands out from other media about fertility due to its focus on the everyday experience of a woman navigating the industry. Many shows, like Netflix's 'Our Father' (see BioNews 1147) or 'The Man with 1000 Kids' (see BioNews 1257) tell horror stories of scandals and, arguably, extreme cases. 'Misconception', however, paints a picture of what the fertility industry looks like for an ordinary woman, allowing us to understand its flaws and challenges more intimately than ever before.
The first episode, titled 'The Baby Boom', begins with a recording of Brown at a gynaecologist appointment. She anxiously awaits the results of her fertility test, sharing how discovering she wouldn't be able to have children 'would mess with me a lot'. This immediately sets up a casual and personal tone that continues for the whole series, making it feel more like a candid conversation with a friend than a formal, educational podcast.
As the episode goes on, Brown discusses how she, like many women, began considering egg freezing due to the constant reminder of the 'biological clock'. From Instagram adverts to celebrity stories and her mother asking for grandchildren, Brown felt as if freezing her eggs was the ultimate solution to buy herself more time. And that's how it was marketed to her and even to me. I have also viewed this medicine as a liberating option that provides women with flexibility and choice.
But Brown exposes how this marketing hides the reality: egg freezing and IVF have quite low success rates. Bridgette Adams, self-described as the 'cover girl for egg freezing' after publicising her experiences, shared with us how she felt misled after her unsuccessful IVF treatment. These 'duelling messages of hope and fear' are often used by fertility clinics to sell a false promise instead of the uncertain reality.
Brown delves into a second significant issue in the following episode: the cost. Although I knew fertility treatment can be expensive, hearing the personal stories of those burdened by costs was surprising and eye-opening. Many women and couples interviewed by Brown share how they had to reprioritise their life, choosing to receive IVF treatment over buying a new house or switching jobs. Brown even points out how popular fundraising site, GoFundMe, has its own section dedicated solely to IVF fundraisers. The podcast highlights how, when a limited or complete lack of insurance coverage is available, fertility treatment can exclusively be, as Brown put it, for 'the white, married, wealthy and heterosexual'.
The final half of the podcast uncovers how 'fertility medicine grew up as a business' and the problems that come with its lack of regulation and centralisation in the USA. One of the most disturbing aspects Brown mentions is the lack of transparency around mistakes at fertility clinics. Attorney and fertility expert, Adam Wolf, told us how most cases involving clinic errors are settled confidentially, meaning this information never gets to the public.
The series ends with Brown going through the egg freezing process herself; we hear about her difficulties injecting the medicine and managing its side effects. I found myself hoping, along with her, for a good result on the number of successful embryos.
Indeed, the whole podcast really is a personal journey that not only offers insight into what it is like to undergo fertility treatment but helps ground all the other information we find out. We feel the emotions of those let down by marketing, the stressful burdens of the high prices, and the struggles of those still on the journey to having children.
Brown strikes a rare balance between emotional storytelling and educational reporting. The blend of sounds in the podcast, such as recorded phone calls between Brown and her doctors, snippets of news reports on the growing fertility industry, and interviews with IVF patients, bring the podcast to life.
Yet, I did struggle at times to follow the podcast's overall narrative. While it starts with Brown's personal journey, her story gets lost amid all the other information you are presented with. The interviews with doctors and experts are undoubtedly interesting but I found myself struggling to connect all the different topics back to Brown’s experience as her voice became increasingly less present. The end, in particular – a call with her husband sharing the news of their successful embryo freezing – did not feel like the conclusive finale I had been expecting but rather a rushed reminder of who this podcast was supposed to be about.
Nonetheless, 'Misconception' is one of the most interesting podcasts I have listened to in a long time. Even though it exposes the flaws in the fertility industry, it maintains an optimistic tone, touching on research into delaying menopause and clinics working to improve accessibility.
The podcast shines a light on 'a corner of the medical world where some of the most intimate, emotional, and trying moments of life collide with business' and what this means for ordinary people. It is a must-listen for anyone curious about fertility treatment or the science behind it.
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