IVF

• Photographer
  Antonio Faccilongo

Palestine In the past two years, 30 babies were born to Palestinian women whose husbands are imprisoned by Israel. What is astonishing about this seemingly natural phenomenon is that these women have not had physical contact with their husbands for years. In what seems like a far-fetched idea, Palestinian prisoners have been smuggling their sperms outside Israeli jails where their wives and families have already prepped for an in vitro fertilization (IVF) to take place. Palestinian prisoners are allowed visits every two weeks that last for 45 minutes only. Family members must be first-degree relations, and after a thorough body search are able to talk to their loved ones behind a glass window through a telephone. Physical contact is forbidden, except for children of prisoners who are allowed ten minutes at the end of each visit to embrace their fathers.