Spain and structural infertility: towards an integrative vision of motherhood in the novel Quién Quiere Ser Madre by Silvia Nanclares

Abstract

The low birth rate is one of the most worrying problems in Spanish society today. Scarce births and the increase in fertility problems in couples are the consequences of structural infertility, that is, the set of social problems that have a direct impact on motherhood. From the perspective of reproductive justice, this chapter aims to analyze the main factors that condition the delay of motherhood in Spain through the autobiographical novel by Silvia Nanclares, Quién quiere ser madre (2017). The novel explores, in a humorous way, the reasons that led the protagonist to postpone her decision to become a mother and the subsequent contact with assisted reproduction clinics, a booming private sector that has been welcomed as the main solution to a social problem.