DO NOW Uterine Transplants

A new medical treatment for those who want to have babies, but are anatomically unable to, has allowed babies to be born from a transplanted uterus. 

​Pro: 
Infertility is growing and this is a great way for women to carry and birth their own child. 7.3 million woman in the US have had to use infertility treatments. There are many things that can contribute to infertility, such as uterine shape, uterine size, hormone levels, sperm counts, and conditions such as endometriosis or PCOS. In this case, uterine factor infertility is the main condition that a uterine transplant could help cure. 

​Uterine factor infertility (UFI) is when a woman cannot get pregnant due to the size, shape, or condition of the uterus being abnormal. A change in these factors can result in an egg not being able to successfully attach to the endometrium (lining of the uterus) in order to grow into a baby. Transplanting a uterus could give a woman a healthy uterus.

​Other people argue that this surgery could give transgendered women a chance at being feminine in the anatomical sense of the word. 

​Con: 
​There are some disadvantages to any transplant surgery. The risks of the surgery itself are aplenty: excessive bleeding, infection, allergy to anesthesia, or even heart failure. Not to mention the post-surgery instructions. For any organ transplant, you will have to be on medications that prevent infection or rejection of the organ. These medications are not even promised to eliminate these risks. 

​Other people argue that this may give a gene for infertility to be passed on. If the mother doesn't have a uterus because of genetics (MRKH Syndrome), she could pass that genetic issue to her baby, breeding more people that need a uterus transplant. With so many other options for having a child are out there, people wonder if these risks are worth it.

Your Opinion:
​So what do you think? Are these risks worth being able to carry a child? Or should people opt for adoption or surrogacy for their own safety and genetic factors? Let me know in the comments!

Citations

• “NATION'S 1ST UTERUS TRANSPLANT.” Uterus Transplant: Procedure & Information | Cleveland Clinic, www.clevelandclinic.org/lp/uterus-transplant/index.html.
  
• “Reproductive Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Mar. 2017, www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm.
  
• “Uterine Factor Infertility.” USC Fertility, uscfertility.org/causes-infertility/uterine-factor-infertility/.
  
• ​“National Center for Health Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 July 2016, www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infertility.htm.