A need to reproduce forever Reproducing is an irreversible decision that brings with it a mass of responsibilities and major changes. No matter how big the decision, many women decide they are ready too late in life. Delayed pregnancy can occur for a variety of reasons, including financial or career stability, mental stability, or pregnancy through external means, such as in vitro fertilization. Women are expected to see their ability to impregnate stop with the arrival of menopause. In the book State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, a woman named Marina Singh travels deep into the Amazon jungle in hopes of finding Dr. Annick Swenson, a doctor who is developing a drug for pregnancy in postmenopausal women. Dr. Swenson herself became the first non-native test subject. Marina struggles with the ethical and moral aspects of working on indigenous cultures. She quickly learns that while there are cultural practices that can lead to optimistic advances in post-menopausal pregnancies, there may be no point in bringing them back into modern society. Women should not be allowed to reproduce after passing natural menopause and cessation of ovulation.Dr. Swenson studies the Lakashi tribe and lives among them, slowly gaining their trust. The women of the tribe eat the bark of the Martin tree and hallucinogenic mushrooms called Rapps, named after researcher Martin Rapp, which give them the ability to reproduce into old age. She deduces that the local moths found around these forests produce a response that gives those who eat them protection against malaria. She soon found their key to being fertile until death...... middle of paper...... rest of their lives since the onset of puberty. There are also many complications that a woman may face while conceiving and giving birth to children in her 50s and even 40s. In the long term, both mother and baby can suffer. Although some women lost their chances of having children when they were younger, many children are waiting to be adopted. There is no need for medical science to develop this possibility, because women do not live in a society where conceiving children is the highest priority. Works Cited Dahlan, Hannah. “Older mothers: the good, the bad and the ugly!” Pregnancy, birth and beyond. Np, and Web. April 11, 2014.Patchett, Ann. State of wonder. New York: Harper, 2011. Print. Eden, Elizabeth. "HowStuffWorks "Pregnancy Complications in Elderly Mothers" HowStuffWorks. Np, November 16, 2006. Web. April 11. 2014.