Womb Transplants in Two Years?
Posted by Osagie Obasagie November 2, 2009
Biopolitical Times
Last month, several major media outlets reported on a presentation by British fertility researchers at the annual ASRM meeting claiming that the ability to transplant uteri in humans could be achieved in as little as two years. Transplanting wombs has been a long awaited breakthrough for many working in reproductive medicine, as it would give women with damaged or absent uteri an alternative to surrogacy. Shortly after this announcement, headlines in the U.S. and U.K. screamed “Womb transplants available within 2 years” and “New hope for women who can’t bear children.”
Fortunately, the UK National Health Service stepped in a few days later with a reality check, posting a webpage titled “Womb transplant years away.” They reminded the public that the success reported at the ASRM conference was based upon preliminary animal research, and that “there is a big difference between rabbits and humans.” They also note:
Fortunately, the UK National Health Service stepped in a few days later with a reality check, posting a webpage titled “Womb transplant years away.” They reminded the public that the success reported at the ASRM conference was based upon preliminary animal research, and that “there is a big difference between rabbits and humans.” They also note:
The reported two-year estimate for the first human womb transplant is overly optimistic. There are several major hurdles to overcome before this could be considered ready for trials in humans. It would also involve a series of operations, carrying all of the usual risks, plus ones that are as yet unknown, for a non life-threatening condition. Ethical consideration balancing risk against benefit, for both mother and child, also need to be taken into account.While we should applaud this remarkable step forward in reproductive medicine, we should also applaud the NHS’ efforts to have a rational discussion about the risks, benefits, and projected timeline of this research. Other government bodies, including those in the United States, may very well want to follow suit in promoting responsible discussion of medical developments – especially in the field of assisted reproduction.