Thursday, January 25, 2007

Anyone Wants a New Uterus?

A US team of transplant surgeons are planning for a uterus transplant. This procedure, though will be the first in the US had been performed successfully in other parts of the world. The reason for the transplant is that some women will like to experience childbearing but are unable to because of certain reasons. So a uterine transplant will be performed and an embryo produced by IVF inserted into the transplanted uterus. After one or two pregnancies, the uterus will be removed. While there are no moral or ethical issues involved with uterine transplantation, it shows the length some women will go to get pregnant even though adoption is still available as an alternative.

Uterine transplant how joins the ranks of face and hand transplants that are not life saving, like liver, kidney and heart transplants, but for improving quality of life.

Another connected issue are the organ donors. Many organ donors sign up in the hope that their organ save someone’s lives when theirs are over. I wonder what they will think if their organs are used to improve other people’s “quality of life’?

Closely related is the issue of the source of transplant organs. China has finally admitted that it is selling organs from executed condemned prisoners. What is also revealed is the extent of sale of organs and organs trafficking in China. “Transplant Tourism” is becoming common in China. One effect of this is that it deprives a local Chinese from getting a transplant because these “transplant tourist” tend to jump ahead of the very long queue.

We must ensure that the rights of Chinese prisoners are not violated and that local Chinese are not unjustly affected by these “transplant tourists”


Soli deo Gloria

No comments:

Post a Comment