WOMB transplants could allow men to have babies “tomorrow”, an expert claims.
They would not be able to deliver the baby naturally, but could give birth by cesarean.
Richard Paulson, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said eight children had already been born to women after transplants. And he told a meeting in San Antonio, Texas: “There’s plenty of room to put a uterus in there. Men and women have the same blood vessels.” He said the next step would to be trials involving transgender women to help them become natural mothers. Such ops are not allowed in the UK. However, medical ethics lawyer Dr Amel Alghrani joined calls this year for the NHS to consider them.
Last night critics said transgender women may want to think of safer options first — such as using a surrogate. Julian Savulescu, professor of practical ethics at Oxford University, said the safety of the baby should be the priority.
He added: “It it is hard to justify from the perspective of using NHS health resources, or from the child’s own perspective.”
Docs hope to perform the first UK womb transplant in 2018.
In 2014 a Swede gave birth after receiving a uterus from a living donor.
Source: Womb transplants could allow men to have babies ‘tomorrow’, claims expert