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For the millions of women living with endometriosis, significant disruption to normative life expectations and a considerable impact on everyday life are common. Whilst for many women concerns about and experiences of infertility may be a central feature of life with the condition, little work has considered the impact that chronic illness has on reproductive decision-making or on the ways in which a medical condition is managed in relation to plans for conception. This chapter considers how heterosexual women with endometriosis and their male partners experience the intersection of fertility desires with the use of reproductive technologies (contraceptive and conceptive) and how these experiences intersect with the medical and surgical management of endometriosis. Three themes drawn from interview data are presented: the first considers how the uncertain and indeterminate character of endometriosis shapes imaginaries about future fertility, conception and childbearing. The second focuses on how endometriosis mediates expectations about the success of fertility treatments and technologies; exploring in particular the manifestation of low expectations in relation to possible success. The third theme considers how endometriosis and fertility pathways intersect, creating specific disruptions whereby fertility treatment may be delayed by endometriosis care, and where endometriosis care may be interrupted or paused by fertility desires. Our data show how endometriosis shapes reproductive desires, decision-making and experiences and has important implications for understanding how for those living with a chronic illness, plans for having children are made within a context of biographical and biomedical contingency.

Additional file 1. Semi-structured Interview Guide.

The EDNA project was developed to consider the political, economic and moral configuration of egg donation for fertility treatment in the UK, Belgium and Spain. Europe was selected as the site for the study because of the relative lack of research relating to the organisation and practice of egg provision in this context and due to the unique constellation of regulatory oversight for member states who are subject to the requirements of the EU Tissue and Cells Directive. The study was based on a constructivist-interpretive epistemology and employed a sequential multiple-method design to explore processes and experiences of egg donation. Phase one involved mapping policy in the three countries and across Europe, stakeholder interviews and a literature review. Phase two involved analysis of clinic websites and specifically their online recruitment materials in the three countries. Phase three involved qualitative interviews with professionals and egg providers to understand perceptions, experiences and moral reasoning amongst those involved in the practice, and phase four involved stakeholder workshops and dissemination activities. Ethical approval for the study was granted by De Montfort University (ref 1989), Ghent University and CSIC.

Additional file 1. Quality checklist results for the assessment of risk of bias.

Additional file 1. COREQ Checklist. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ): 32-item checklist. (PDF 113 kb)

Additional file 2. Unit costs applied for valuation of resource use.

Additional file 5. Other reasons given for not wanting to attend SSME if invited.

Additional file 2. Interview Questions and Topic Guides. A document providing details of scripts and topic guides used in interviews and focus groups during the study. (DOCX 21 kb)

Additional file 7. Summary of the findings for each feasibility objective.

Additional file 1. Ethnographic interview topic guides.

Additional file 3. Sample matrix of performance objectives, determinants and change objectives. Sample matrix of performance objectives, determinants and change objectives. (PDF 138 kb)

Additional file 4. Other reasons given for not attending SSME.

Additional file 3. Summary of extracted continuous primary care data by practice.