Status of the human body > Organ, tissue and blood donation

Between hope and organ shortage, uterus transplants raise ethical questions

Author / Source : EIB Published on : 14/02/2025 Thematic : Status of the human body / Organ, tissue and blood donation News Temps de lecture : 1 min.

The procedure began in 2018, when the uterus of a brain-dead donor was transplanted into a woman suffering from Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. This syndrome is characterised by the total or partial absence of a vagina and an underdeveloped or non-existent uterus. To achieve pregnancy in these conditions, embryos were conceived by in vitro fertilisation prior to the transplant and subsequently re-implanted once doctors had established that the transplanted uterus had not been...

The Netherlands: opening of foetal biobank has led to surge in donations of foetal tissue after abortion

Author / Source : EIB Published on : 14/02/2025 Thematic : Status of the human body / Organ, tissue and blood donation News Temps de lecture : 2 min.

According to a study published in 2024 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, donations of foetal tissue after abortion have increased significantly in the Netherlands, from 1.2% (8 donations out of 663 abortions) to 21.7% (132 donations out of 609 abortions), following the creation of a Dutch foetal biobank. For the authors of the study, incorporating donation options into post-abortion advice could ‘ethically improve tissue acquisition for continued medical progress’.