Selective Pronatalism and Reproductive Autonomy: Attitudes Toward Medically Assisted Reproduction in Hungary

Ivett Szalma and Lóránt Pélyi
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Ivett Szalma: Institute for Sociology, HUN‐REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary / Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary
Lóránt Pélyi: Institute for Sociology, HUN‐REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary

Social Inclusion, 2025, vol. 13

Abstract: This study explores how social and political factors shape attitudes toward medically assisted reproduction in Hungary, focusing on the selective pronatalist policies that prioritize middle‐class, heteronormative families while marginalizing LGBTQ+ individuals. In a national context where childbearing is framed as a societal expectation and voluntary childlessness is less accepted than in Western and Northern Europe, these policies play a pivotal role in shaping public attitudes. Drawing on data from a 2024 nationwide representative survey, the study examines the influence of sociodemographic variables on public support for medically assisted reproduction, with particular attention to attitudes toward lesbian couples’ access to in‐vitro fertilization. The findings reveal that individuals concerned about population decline and those with strong nationalist sentiments are more likely to support medically assisted reproduction, while those who are more accepting of voluntary childlessness show less support. However, access to medically assisted reproduction for lesbian couples is significantly less supported, particularly among those who endorse traditional gender roles and nationalist ideologies. These results underscore the intersection of pronatalist policies, nationalist narratives, and social exclusion, raising critical questions about reproductive autonomy, inclusivity, and the ethical implications of state‐supported fertility programmes. The study contributes to broader debates on how reproductive policies reflect, reinforce, and actively shape societal norms, particularly in contexts where demographic anxieties and nationalist agendas converge.

Keywords: attitudes toward migration; lesbian couples; medically assisted reproduction; pronatalist context; voluntary childlessness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:10390

DOI: 10.17645/si.10390

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