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Pushing the boundaries: Uterine transplantation and the limits of reproductive autonomy
Author(s) -
O’Donovan Laura
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
bioethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.494
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-8519
pISSN - 0269-9702
DOI - 10.1111/bioe.12531
Subject(s) - autonomy , realm , fertility , context (archaeology) , reproductive technology , infertility , transplantation , reproduction , gynecology , reproductive rights , pregnancy , uterus , gender studies , environmental ethics , medicine , political science , sociology , abortion , biology , law , population , environmental health , philosophy , paleontology , ecology , genetics , surgery , lactation
Abstract Over the course of recent years, various scientific advances in the realm of reproduction have changed the reproductive landscape, enhancing women’s procreative rights and the choices available to them. Uterus transplants (UTx) are the latest of such medical innovations aimed at restoring fertility in women suffering from absolute uterine factor infertility, providing them with the possibility not only of conceiving a genetically related child but also of gestating their own pregnancies. This paper critically examines the primacy of reproductive liberty in the context of uterus transplantation. It questions whether and to what extent we should respect the reproductive autonomy of a woman who chooses UTx, given the significant risks that attach to the procedure and existing concerns that UTx may perpetuate potentially troubling gendered norms surrounding pregnancy and the role of women’s bodies in reproduction, which may place undue reproductive pressures on women.