Key Ethical Considerations in the Study and Clinical Translation of Uterine Transplantation

Abstract

Uterine factor infertility (UFI) is a condition that affects approximately 1.5 million women around the world. Advances in reproductive science have made it possible that uterine transplantation may be the first true treatment for women with UFI. While uterine transplantation is still in the experimental stages, the first successful live births from women who received a uterine transplant mark the real potential of this procedure. Although uterine transplant may offer an important new step for the management of women with UFI, it also poses important ethical questions that must be thoroughly considered and addressed before this procedure becomes a clinical reality. In this article, we review the major ethical issues associated with the study of and expected future clinical translation of uterine transplantation and propose a series of steps to reduce risks to all those involved in the process.