A new book called “A Circle of Chalk” examines the difficult issues of infertility, IVF and parental rights. Today Mel spoke with the author, Christina McClelland to discuss the moral and ethical challenges women face and how she brings this to life in an amazing novel.
Christina says statically, one in three women have either gone through IVF treatment or knows someone who as.
Christina says Circle of Chalk is based on true stories because that is where I feel like the most compelling narratives come from. She interviewed dozens and dozens of women who have gone through IVF in the past two decades. Christina says I also wanted to talk about a topic no one is talking about which is embryo adoption. Embryo adoption, she says, is a great option for couples dealing with infertility, but again because it is so personal; it’s a very intimate topic, we don’t talk about it enough and A Circle of Chalk has opened that conversation.
Christina tells us A Circle of Chalk exposes what happens when science leap frogs the legal system. She says we see it in other sectors but we have a new that comes out and is used for several years, whether it is a procedure or a medication and it’s only until it is a crisis that society evaluates the ethical and moral dilemmas and then after that do the laws catch up. Interestingly, she says, most of the laws involving embryos cry preservation came from Australia back in the early 80’s and those are still used today.
Christina says the biggest take-away from this book is that you have permission to be not okay and that if you are going through infertility, you are not alone. She says you have options, and you have support, and you are not alone.
For more information go to ChristinaMcclellandbooks.com
