Doctors are preparing to implant a uterus into a woman in the hope that she can have children. But is this ethical and wise? Usually, organs are transplanted to save lives, which is worth the risk of dying in surgery and having to spend a lifetime taking immune-suppressing drugs. But this is an entirely elective procedure that is putting the patient’s life at risk (and perhaps her baby’s if she becomes pregnant), and may cause the woman great harm in coming years. Yes, she wants the chance to have natural children, and is willing to take the risk. But is that is all that is necessary to make a serious surgery ethical? Does patient mere desire trump a doctor’s obligation to do no harm?
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
