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posted by martyb on Monday November 06 2017, @02:24PM   Printer-friendly
from the "tomorrow"-give-or-take-nine-months dept.

Richard Paulson, President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, has said that transgender women could give birth as soon as "tomorrow" using donated wombs:

Those born with male assigned sex organs cannot conceive children biologically; however, this may soon change, at least according to one fertility expert. Transgender women—those who were assigned male at birth—could give birth as early as "tomorrow," Richard Paulson, an obstetrician-gynecologist and the president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said, according to The Telegraph. Thanks to advances in transgender medicine, donated wombs may be able to help transgender women conceive on their own, Paulson said during the society's annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Since at least 1999, transgender men have successfully given birth to healthy children, The Washington Post [archive] reports. More recently, Trystan Reese, a transgender man and his partner Biff Chaplow, gave birth to a healthy child last August. Despite their successes, the process is much more complex for transgender women. Primarily because a man's pelvis is a different shape than a woman's, making the birth much more complicated. Still, Paulson insists that it's possible, but notes the birth must be conducted via cesarean section.

"There would be additional challenges, but I don't see any obvious problem that would preclude it," Paulson said. "I personally suspect there are going to be trans women who are going to want to have a uterus and will likely get the transplant."

Only eight children have been born worldwide to mothers (born female) who had a uterine transplant, with the first such birth occurring in 2014. As we have reported, the first attempted uterine transplant in the U.S. failed last year.

Here's a 2016 article on the topic at Scientific American, which notes that surrogacy (which can have its own problems) is illegal in some countries. The article raises the question of unnecessary risks to the patient, as well as unknown risks posed to the fetus by a "potentially unstable biological environment" modulated by hormone treatments.

Not mentioned: the prospect of creating an artificial embryo using the DNA of two biological men, which is expected to be possible imminently (predicted by researchers two years ago to be available in 2017). Since men have both an X and Y sex chromosome, they should be able to have either a son or a daughter using such a technique.

If an artificial womb is developed in the future and it has a lesser chance of causing complications than a traditional pregnancy, would it be unethical for a woman to conceive a child naturally? Fetal lambs have been grown for up to four weeks in an artificial womb, so we may get an answer in the coming decades.

Also at the Sacremento Bee.


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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday November 07 2017, @04:16PM (5 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday November 07 2017, @04:16PM (#593694) Journal

    "Homosexuality is observed in nature."

    You justify your actions with the fact that the beasts of the field to it. So - it's alright for you to attack your parents, when they grow old and weak, and eat them.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday November 07 2017, @07:19PM (4 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday November 07 2017, @07:19PM (#593773) Journal

    It seems it's only male homosexuality you take issue with. I'm guessing you'd have less trouble watching, for example, me and my girlfriend making love, not that we'd ever let you.

    This reveals several things, one of which is your incredibly male-centric idea of sexuality, to the point that it's borderline solipsistic. If you have a wife or a girlfriend I pity her intensely. Another, IMO, is an obvious undercurrent of homosexual urges in your own case.

    A third is an extremely shallow set of morals and almost complete lack of moral thought. Empathy is also found in nature, in "the beasts of the field." We are animals, at least in the flesh, whether you like it or not. Does that mean a thing is good or bad solely because it exists in nature or does not? No, of course not. What the AC above you was saying isn't "there are gay animals therefore it's fine, QED," they're saying "Don't act like this is something humans invented or some deliberate, thought-out perversion of human nature."

    You are a particularly shallow thinker and getting worse by the day; the last 4-6 months in particular are making me suspect you're either suffering something in your personal life that's affecting your thought processes or may actually have early-onset dementia.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 1, Redundant) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday November 08 2017, @03:14AM (3 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @03:14AM (#593941) Journal

      And, once again, 'Zumi tosses out her ages old presumption that I am interested in her.

      When will you learn, girl? There are a lot of fish in the ocean. I'm not much interested in crustaceans. And, you're not an interesting crustacean. No, I'm not coming over to watch the mating habits of - whatever it is you call yourself.

      • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:09AM (2 children)

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:09AM (#593965) Journal

        Way to miss the point again. This deflection of yours fools no one; based on your responses thus far it is now patently obvious you're at least bisexual and have been fighting a lifelong battle with yourself over it. Else why would you be getting so completely autistic-screeching upset over it? Seriously, I'm beginning to wonder if you actually WILL have apoplexy if I keep poking you and am debating simply ignoring you so as not to have your blood (or whatever that cholesterol-laden alcoholic sludge is...) on my hands.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 1, Redundant) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday November 08 2017, @02:48PM (1 child)

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @02:48PM (#594061) Journal

          Some shit is definitely beneath any man's dignity to even mess with. You've heard those loaded questions, such as "Is mine the sweetest peter you've ever tasted?" We simply aren't going into my sex life, no matter how curious you are, no matter how many times you ask.

          Listen to the lyrics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T3g_DruhMc [youtube.com]

          • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday November 08 2017, @03:15PM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday November 08 2017, @03:15PM (#594078) Journal

            Runaway confirmed for self-loathing bi/homosexual. I mean, you were before, but this is basically a giant flashing neon sign saying "CLOSET CASE" in giant 144pt Comic Sans...

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...