5 ms·

Could a womb be implanted into a male and be functional? Plan on a C-section to skip the birth-capable vagina transplant, which might not be even possible now.

Could a womb be implanted into a male and be functional? Plan on a C-section to skip the birth-capable vagina transplant, which might not be even possible now. I wonder if the necessary hormone manipulations would be practical.

jobigoud 8y ago
This must have been tried in animals… Maybe another case of negative results that didn't make it to publication. I wonder about the placenta and umbilical cord though.
- war1025 8y ago
  I apparently do not have a wild enough imagination for what researchers do in their spare time... this seems like something I wouldn't have expected anyone to do more than speculate about.
  - TomMarius 8y ago
    Why "in their spare time"? We're seriously researching things like that now, for a few years at least.
    - war1025 8y ago
      I assume research just always takes place in spare time I guess :) I'm not up to date on the field and had never considered it is mainly the idea I was trying to get across.
PhasmaFelis 8y ago
This is a really interesting question, in part because it raises the idea that trans women might be able to give birth someday soon. That could be very welcome news for a lot of people. Edit: I'm curious if people are downvoting this because they're anti-trans, or because they think I'm somehow anti-trans.
- gammateam 8y ago
  Male surrogates, nice!
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- dokem 8y ago
  Perhaps helping the trans person's mind could prove more fruitful that helping their body.
  - kevindqc 8y ago
    Perhaps you should educate yourself on trans people.
  - pseudalopex 8y ago
    You say that like people are allowed to transition without psychotherapy.
lazerpants 8y ago
Yes, it is theoretically possible, though I don't even think animal models have been tested for this. Major problems cited are: blood supply for the uterus may be difficult, there may be too little room around organs in males, necessary hormones may be unsafe for the fetus/carrier. Essentially, it's likely possible, but even womb transplantation into women is highly experimental and may prove to be unsafe, without the added limitations of male anatomy and hormones.
nostrademons 8y ago
There was a movie about this, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the dad (mom?) to be. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110216/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110216/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  And if you liked that medical documentary, enjoy this scientific exploration of the potential for Mars colonization https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100802/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100802/
minitel 8y ago
I imagine transgender women will find this technology most interesting. And they're already fulfilling any hormonal requirements of their own accord.
yholio 8y ago
All this waste of medical resources to deliver essentially a feeling to the mother, while there are plenty of adoptable and miserable children all over the world. At least in this case, they used the mother's own DNA.
- decebalus1 8y ago
  Some people are interested in having their DNA passed down. I can totally see how this may not be regarded as a waste of medical resource by a lot of individuals. Adoption has its own place in the world but everything which allows women to give birth (especially in the West, where this is starting to be a problem) should be ok from this perspective. If you want to talk about wasted medical resources, just take a look at the plastic surgery market.
- ygjb 8y ago
  "waste of medical resources" - over and above the outcome of the procedure, each preceding failure likely yielded new information about female anatomy, interactions between host and donor immune responses and the impact of those immune responses, and a plethora of other useful information about human reproduction. Yes, adopting would be easier, but procedures like this can yield valuable insight into women's health and the reproductive process, which is still fraught with risk in much of the world.
  - yholio 8y ago
    The suggestion was that the same procedure be applied for male biology. And of course, the waste should be examined on the long run, where every transwoman should have the right to a similar procedure if the money and donor are available and they so desire.
- watwut 8y ago
  Adoption is hard, harder then you think. Both for legal and practical reasons. Do not underestimate effort adoptive families, kids and parents, do.
- ekianjo 8y ago
beaconstudios 8y ago
it's an interesting theoretical question, but I'm not sure why you'd want to. I can't think of a reason to choose process A over process B: A: implant womb in person, implant fertile egg in womb, carry baby, c-section deliver baby, remove womb. B: implant fertile egg in surrogate, carry baby, c-section or give birth to baby. Or: it's just surrogacy with extra steps.

jobigoud 8y ago

This must have been tried in animals… Maybe another case of negative results that didn't make it to publication. I wonder about the placenta and umbilical cord though.

war1025 8y ago
I apparently do not have a wild enough imagination for what researchers do in their spare time... this seems like something I wouldn't have expected anyone to do more than speculate about.
- TomMarius 8y ago
  Why "in their spare time"? We're seriously researching things like that now, for a few years at least.
  - war1025 8y ago
    I assume research just always takes place in spare time I guess :) I'm not up to date on the field and had never considered it is mainly the idea I was trying to get across.

PhasmaFelis 8y ago

This is a really interesting question, in part because it raises the idea that trans women might be able to give birth someday soon. That could be very welcome news for a lot of people. Edit: I'm curious if people are downvoting this because they're anti-trans, or because they think I'm somehow anti-trans.

gammateam 8y ago
Male surrogates, nice!
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
dokem 8y ago
Perhaps helping the trans person's mind could prove more fruitful that helping their body.
- kevindqc 8y ago
  Perhaps you should educate yourself on trans people.
- pseudalopex 8y ago
  You say that like people are allowed to transition without psychotherapy.

lazerpants 8y ago

Yes, it is theoretically possible, though I don't even think animal models have been tested for this. Major problems cited are: blood supply for the uterus may be difficult, there may be too little room around organs in males, necessary hormones may be unsafe for the fetus/carrier. Essentially, it's likely possible, but even womb transplantation into women is highly experimental and may prove to be unsafe, without the added limitations of male anatomy and hormones.

nostrademons 8y ago

There was a movie about this, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the dad (mom?) to be. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110216/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110216/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
And if you liked that medical documentary, enjoy this scientific exploration of the potential for Mars colonization https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100802/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100802/

minitel 8y ago

I imagine transgender women will find this technology most interesting. And they're already fulfilling any hormonal requirements of their own accord.

yholio 8y ago

All this waste of medical resources to deliver essentially a feeling to the mother, while there are plenty of adoptable and miserable children all over the world. At least in this case, they used the mother's own DNA.

decebalus1 8y ago
Some people are interested in having their DNA passed down. I can totally see how this may not be regarded as a waste of medical resource by a lot of individuals. Adoption has its own place in the world but everything which allows women to give birth (especially in the West, where this is starting to be a problem) should be ok from this perspective. If you want to talk about wasted medical resources, just take a look at the plastic surgery market.
ygjb 8y ago
"waste of medical resources" - over and above the outcome of the procedure, each preceding failure likely yielded new information about female anatomy, interactions between host and donor immune responses and the impact of those immune responses, and a plethora of other useful information about human reproduction. Yes, adopting would be easier, but procedures like this can yield valuable insight into women's health and the reproductive process, which is still fraught with risk in much of the world.
- yholio 8y ago
  The suggestion was that the same procedure be applied for male biology. And of course, the waste should be examined on the long run, where every transwoman should have the right to a similar procedure if the money and donor are available and they so desire.
watwut 8y ago
Adoption is hard, harder then you think. Both for legal and practical reasons. Do not underestimate effort adoptive families, kids and parents, do.
ekianjo 8y ago

beaconstudios 8y ago

it's an interesting theoretical question, but I'm not sure why you'd want to. I can't think of a reason to choose process A over process B: A: implant womb in person, implant fertile egg in womb, carry baby, c-section deliver baby, remove womb. B: implant fertile egg in surrogate, carry baby, c-section or give birth to baby. Or: it's just surrogacy with extra steps.