Introduction

Williams, Nicola and Hammond-Browning, Natasha (2024) Introduction. In: International Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Uterus Transplantation :. Elgar Studies in Health and the Law . Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. ISBN 9781803920481 (In Press)

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Abstract

The first birth following uterus transplantation (UTx) hit the headlines in 2014. Born in October 2014 as part of a clinical trial at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, the baby, known as Vincent (from the Latin, ‘to conquer’), was conceived after his mother received a uterus donated by a family friend in 2013. While the first to be born, Vincent was not the last, and a further nine births have now occurred as part of the Swedish trial followed by dozens more from trials across the globe. Ten years on, and as the procedure is finessed and exported around the globe, it is time to reflect on the development of UTx and its future as a treatment for infertility caused by an absent or non-functional uterus. We therefore present here a collection of different legal and ethical perspectives on the challenges posed by UTx contributed to by experts from across the globe. This edited collection is for anyone with an interest in the legal and ethical issues that uterine transplantation raises. Due to the unique nature of UTx, many different legal and ethical questions arise. We appreciate that not everyone will be familiar with UTx so here we provide readers with an introduction to UTx including a brief history of its development, and a summary of the process of UTx (from initial enquiry through to removal). We then move on to summarise the sections of the edited collection and the subjects of the individual chapters in more depth as well as some of the overarching questions they raise.