<Course>
For the millennial female workers of today, some employees already have a solution to free them of their worries regarding their biological clock – making egg freezing part of their health care package. Egg freezing is defined as a “method used to preserve reproductive potential in women,” which is also called mature oocyte cryopreservation (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). Through this technology, women who intend to delay pregnancy for whatever personal reason can do so. In 2014, Apple and Facebook were two of the companies who announced that they would include egg freezing in their surrogacy benefits. It was a timely offering because according to Dr. Alan Copperman, the director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Mount Sinai hospital, the number of women who opted to freeze their eggs went up within the last few years (Srinivas, 2014). Although this procedure has been available for several years, its cost, which amounts to $10,000 plus $500 annual storage fee can be a hindrance to many women (Srinivas, 2014). Therefore, including it as part of women employee benefits seems to be a good move. However, not everyone is happy about the technology of egg freezing. For instance, there are women in their 20’s and 30’s who are interested with egg freezing because it will enable them to prioritize their careers first. For Professor Bill Ledger, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Sheffield University, having this reason behind egg freezing is ethically questionable since the procedure is legitimately offered to women who have medical issues (Campbell, 2009). Aside from ethical issues, it is also associated with risks. For example, it may give women false hope because freezing eggs does not always guarantee that a women can bear a child in the future. All these aspects make egg freezing controversial topic even until today.
Few days back, another issue surrounding egg freezing has been brought up. An article discussing this issue was written on the Opinion section of the online New York Times. Reniqua Allen wrote “Is Egg Freezing Only for White Women?” in an attempt to present her thoughts about the racial discrimination associated with the procedure. In general, she talks about how egg freezing is geared towards white women, and this limits the opportunity of black women to explore the possibility that they, too, can make decisions regarding the timing of their motherhood. Although the author’s ideas are effectively presented through the use of Rogerian model and rhetorical appeals, some claims are not strong enough because of the use of different types of fallacies.
First of all, the author’s use of Rogerian form of argument allows her to present her ideas effectively without encouraging hostility in order to convince the readers that race is in fact an issue that is associated with egg freezing. In the beginning, the author starts with a catchy introduction by sharing a story that is related to how the passing of her child bearing years has been reminded to her by a friend (Allen, 2016). This is an effective way of hooking the readers to the topic, a vital element of the Rogerian argument. After sharing her points that relate to the idea that egg is targeted only for white women, she also provides the progress at which the procedure is being geared towards black women, little by little. She also talks about how Tyra Banks shared her surrogacy procedure as a response to her fertility problems (Allen, 2016). In addition, she also shares how the main fictional character in “Being Mary Jane” chose to freeze her eggs. In a nutshell, this is her way of presenting another side of the argument. In addition, the last step in a Rogerian argument is to find a common ground and to reach a compromise, a step that the author, Reniqua Allen, also made. Towards the end of the article, she makes it clear that despite her thoughts of racial discrimination being present, she is still interested with egg freezing. When she says that “I also hope that the fertility industry will realize the narrowness of the lens that it’s using,” it is an implication that she is recognizing the efforts that are in place to reach every color of the society, but she also gives the notion that it can still be improved to fully embrace the black race. Indeed, the article follows the Rogerian form of argument, and it helps the writer present her ideas in an effective manner.
In addition, the effectiveness of the article has been supported by the writer’s use of two rhetorical appeals. First, it is clear that Allen uses appeal to emotions. The topic of bearing a child, being a single mother, and being stigmatized are situations that can evoke people’s feelings, and the writer talks about all of these as part of the experience she shares. For instance, she says “I looked at the fading surgery scar across my abdomen — the remnant of surgery I had eight years earlier to remove uterine fibroids and treat endometriosis — and realized it was time to heed Ms. Rosalie’s advice” (Allen, 2016). By presenting an image of a women who faced a health issue which probably impacted her ability to become a mother, the readers are faced with the reality that perhaps, some women do deserve to be given a fair chance to experience motherhood. However, as Allen is arguing, this chance is being sabotaged by racial discrimination. Second, the author also uses appeal to credibility by presenting information from people who are experts on the given topic. For example, she presents information from Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, an organization that aims to “ensure reproductive justice” of women of color in the United States (“SisterSong,” n.d.). Allen writes how Monica validates that her feeling is true, black women are being stigmatized in many ways (Allen, 2016). This piece of information gives the impression that Allen’s claim is valid. She further shows her audience the strength of her claim when she shares the words of Dr. Desireé McCarthy-Keith, a fertility specialist and obstetrician gynaecologist by profession. Allen states that the doctor confirmed that “black women are left out of the conversation around egg freezing” (Allen, 2016). These expert accounts prove that Allen uses appeal to emotions and appeal to credibility in her article.
On the other hand, the argument also shows a weak side due to the fallacies used by the writer. For example, it is evident that Allen uses relationship causation fallacy when she implies that egg freezing is more geared towards white women which is why only few black women are having conversations about it (Allen, 2016). To prove this, she even presents researched data. She states that “a survey conducted by researchers at the Fertility Center at New York University Langone Medical Center and New York University School of Medicine found that between 2005 and 2011, 80 percent of respondents who had frozen eggs at their center to preserve fertility were white. Four percent were black” (Allen, 2016). However, this survey only provides figures but it does not prove anything about the real reason why less black women are becoming interested or involved with egg freezing. It is possible that there are other factors causing this trend, so the causal relationship that Allen is showing is not valid. Also, she uses anecdotal fallacy in order to appeal to her audience. This means that instead of presenting a sound argument, she uses personal experience in her writing. For example, she shares her visit to the fertility clinic. Specifically, she states, “I was uncharacteristically quiet during the session, perhaps because I was only one of a handful of nonwhite women and one of only two black women in the crowded space” (Allen, 2016). Here, she wants to show the readers that only few black women visits a fertility clinic. However, this can be an isolated case. It is possible that many black women visit the clinic on other days. Clearly, she uses different forms of fallacy, which can be considered as a weakness of her argument.
Overall, it cannot be denied that Allen’s argument regarding the racial issue surrounding egg freezing if effectively delivered in her article. She uses Rogerian form of argument in order to present her ideas in a manner that would help convince the readers that the issue truly exist. Moreover, she uses appeal to emotions and appeal to credibility to strengthen her claim. However, like many other editorial articles, her writing also shows a weak side. This is evident through the fallacies employed in her work, such as the relationship causation fallacy and anecdotal fallacy. Because these fallacies are carefully embedded in her writing, it has been overpowered by her use of Rogerian format and different appeals. This makes her writing more effective in convincing her readers that egg freezing in indeed linked with the issue of race.
Works Cited
Allen, Reniqua. “Is Egg Freezing Only For White Women?” The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 May 2016. Web. 26 May 2016.
Campbell, Denis. “Fertility Experts in Moral Warning Over Egg Freezing. The Guardian. The Guardian, 1 February 2009. Web. 26 May 2016.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Egg freezing. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 7 January 2016. Web. 26 May 2016. Sistersong women of color reproductive justice collective. Civil Liberties and Public Policy. Civil Liberties and Public Policy, n.d. Web. 26 May 2016.
Srinivas, Siri. “Facebook and Apple to Pay for Female Employees to Freeze Their Eggs. The Guardian. The Guardian, 15 October 2014. Web. 26 May 2016.
