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Martínez-López JÁ, Munuera-Gómez P. Surrogacy in the United States: analysis of sociodemographic profiles and motivations of surrogates. Reprod Biomed Online 2024; 49:104302. [PMID: 39102759 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.104302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION What is the profile of women in the USA who become surrogates, and what is their power of decision and motivations? DESIGN This quantitative study was performed with 231 participants in the USA, given the country's long history of surrogacy, to help clarify the profile of women who become surrogates, their power of decision and motivations. RESULTS Descriptive and multivariate cluster analyses showed that women who become surrogates earn above the average income for their state of residency, have a high level of education, have health insurance, are employed, and decide to become a surrogate for prosocial/altruistic reasons. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the premise of both radical feminism and ultra-conservative Catholicism, this study found that altruism and empathy are the primary motivations for participating in surrogacy processes, and that a woman's decision to become a surrogate is not motivated by social conditioning relating to poverty or social status.
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Abiola AO, Adenipekun T, Olatunbosun A, Akintunde TY. Perspectives on Surrogacy Practices and Law in Nigeria: A Call for Policy Intervention. WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2024:1-8. [DOI: 10.1080/23293691.2024.2369551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Abiade Olawanle Abiola
- Department of Private and Business Law, Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Temilorun Adenipekun
- Department of Public and International Law, Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Brünig L, Kahrass H, Salloch S. The concept of intersectionality in bioethics: a systematic review. BMC Med Ethics 2024; 25:64. [PMID: 38783289 PMCID: PMC11112950 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-024-01057-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intersectionality is a concept that originated in Black feminist movements in the US-American context of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the work of feminist scholar and lawyer Kimberlé W. Crenshaw. Intersectional approaches aim to highlight the interconnectedness of gender and sexuality with other social categories, such as race, class, age, and ability to look at how individuals are discriminated against and privileged in institutions and societal power structures. Intersectionality is a "traveling concept", which also made its way into bioethical research. METHODS We conducted a systematic review to answer the question of where and how the concept of intersectionality is applied in bioethical research. The PubMed and Web of Science databases were systematically searched and 192 articles addressing bioethical topics and intersectionality were finally included. RESULTS The qualitative analysis resulted in a category system with five main categories: (1) application purpose and function, (2) social dimensions, (3) levels, (4) health-care disciplines and academic fields, and (5) challenges, limitations, and critique. The variety of academic fields and health-care disciplines working with the concept ranges from psychology, through gynaecology to palliative care and deaf studies. Important functions that the concept of intersectionality fulfils in bioethical research are making inequities visible, creating better health data collections and embracing self-reflection. Intersectionality is also a critical praxis and fits neatly into the overarching goal of bioethics to work toward social justice in health care. Intersectionality aims at making research results relevant for respective communities and patients, and informs the development of policies. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review is, to the best of our knowledge, the first one to provide a full overview of the reference to intersectionality in bioethical scholarship. It creates a basis for future research that applies intersectionality as a theoretical and methodical tool for analysing bioethical questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Brünig
- Institute for Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl- Neuberg-Str.1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Hannes Kahrass
- Institute for Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl- Neuberg-Str.1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sabine Salloch
- Institute for Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl- Neuberg-Str.1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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Le TTQ, Le NTH, Vu TA, Nguyen HH, Vuong LN. Perception of having children through surrogacy in individuals with MRKH in Vietnam: a qualitative study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1372405. [PMID: 38770251 PMCID: PMC11102968 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) is rare condition that has a negative impact on quality of life because affected women lack a uterus and vagina, and are therefore unable to engage in sexual intercourse and experience natural pregnancy. This study evaluated perceptions of surrogacy in Vietnamese women with MRKH who have started families. Method Women with MRKH who had undergone successful vaginal reconstruction, were married, and had started families participated in a semi-structured, in-depth, one-on-one online video interview with an experienced female psychologist. Open-ended questions were used to encourage participants to express their perceptions of surrogacy; prominent themes were discussed, compared, and combined. Results Twenty women (mean age 31 years) agreed to participate. Key themes identified from interviews were the importance of having genetic offspring, consideration of surrogacy as a preferred solution to infertility, the barriers to surrogacy in Vietnam, lack of reproductive information and counselling, individuals concealing their health condition, the impact of religion on the possibility of surrogacy, the economic cost of surrogacy, and the difficulty in finding a surrogate under the restrictions imposed by Vietnamese law. Discussion Based on the perceptions of women from MRKH from Vietnam, there is an opportunity to improve how infertility is managed in these people, including information about surrogacy. These data show that individuals with MRKH should be provided with information about the possibility of surrogacy, encouraged to be open and seek support, and be managed by a multidisciplinary team that includes psychological support; the provision of economic support for fertility treatments in women with MRKH should also be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh T. Q. Le
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Tuan A. Vu
- Department of Laparoscopy, Tu Du Hospital, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - Hoa H. Nguyen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Lan N. Vuong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Lherbet M, Hamamah S. [France faced to its paradoxes in assisted procreation: 30years of prohibition related to surrogacy]. GYNECOLOGIE, OBSTETRIQUE, FERTILITE & SENOLOGIE 2024; 52:119-122. [PMID: 37979618 DOI: 10.1016/j.gofs.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Margot Lherbet
- Service de biologie de la reproduction, CHU Arnaud-de-Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, université de Montpellier, 271, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34090 Montpellier, France; Laboratoire d'anthropologie bio-culturelle, droit et éthique en santé (UMR 7268), espace éthique Méditerranée, CHU la Timone, 13385 Marseille, France.
| | - Samir Hamamah
- Service de biologie de la reproduction, CHU Arnaud-de-Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, université de Montpellier, 271, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34090 Montpellier, France; Inserm 1203, Développement embryonnaire fertilité environnement, université de Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier, France
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Brownell D, Chabaud S, Bolduc S. Tissue Engineering in Gynecology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12319. [PMID: 36293171 PMCID: PMC9603941 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Female gynecological organ dysfunction can cause infertility and psychological distress, decreasing the quality of life of affected women. Incidence is constantly increasing due to growing rates of cancer and increase of childbearing age in the developed world. Current treatments are often unable to restore organ function, and occasionally are the cause of female infertility. Alternative treatment options are currently being developed in order to face the inadequacy of current practices. In this review, pathologies and current treatments of gynecological organs (ovaries, uterus, and vagina) are described. State-of-the-art of tissue engineering alternatives to common practices are evaluated with a focus on in vivo models. Tissue engineering is an ever-expanding field, integrating various domains of modern science to create sophisticated tissue substitutes in the hope of repairing or replacing dysfunctional organs using autologous cells. Its application to gynecology has the potential of restoring female fertility and sexual wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Brownell
- Centre de Recherche en Organogéneèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Regenerative Medicine Division, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Stéphane Chabaud
- Centre de Recherche en Organogéneèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Regenerative Medicine Division, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Stéphane Bolduc
- Centre de Recherche en Organogéneèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Regenerative Medicine Division, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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Padovano M, Scopetti M, Manetti F, Morena D, Radaelli D, D’Errico S, Di Fazio N, Frati P, Fineschi V. Pancreatic transplant surgery and stem cell therapy: Finding the balance between therapeutic advances and ethical principles. World J Stem Cells 2022; 14:577-586. [PMID: 36157914 PMCID: PMC9453273 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v14.i8.577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The latest achievements in the field of pancreas transplantation and stem cell therapy require an effort by the scientific community to clarify the ethical implications of pioneering treatments, often characterized by high complexity from a surgical point of view, due to transplantation of multiple organs at the same time or at different times, and from an immunological point of view for stem cell therapy. The fundamental value in the field of organ transplants is, of course, a solidarity principle, namely that of protecting the health and life of people for whom transplantation is a condition of functional recovery, or even of survival. The nature of this value is that of a concept to which the legal discipline of transplants entrusts its own ethical dignity and for which it has ensured a constitutional recognition in different systems. The general principle of respect for human life, both of the donor and of the recipient, evokes the need not to put oneself and one’s neighbor in dangerous conditions. The present ethical reflection aims to find a balance between the latest therapeutic advances and several concepts including the idea of the person, the respect due to the dead, the voluntary nature of the donation and the consent to the same, the gratuitousness of the donation, the scientific progress and the development of surgical techniques, and the policies of health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Padovano
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Matteo Scopetti
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00189, Italy
| | - Federico Manetti
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Donato Morena
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Davide Radaelli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste 34149, Italy
| | - Stefano D’Errico
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste 34149, Italy
| | - Nicola Di Fazio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Paola Frati
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Vittorio Fineschi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
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Yeshua-Katz D, Khvorostianov N. "Only My Husband and My Doctor Know. And You, Girls": Online Discussions of Stigma Coping Strategies for Russian Surrogate Mothers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:11325. [PMID: 34769841 PMCID: PMC8583464 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: Gestational surrogacy is the most common type of surrogacy today. Although technologically well-developed and legal in many countries, it challenges and even contradicts the basic traditional concepts of family, motherhood, and gender roles. In the present study, we examined the types of stigma coping strategies surrogate mothers discussed in an online support group in post-Soviet Russia. (2) Method: We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of 15,602 posts on a Russian-language online support group for surrogate mothers. (3) Findings: group members discussed four types of coping strategies: stigma internalization, stigma avoidance, group identification, and stigma challenging. Nevertheless, these strategies varied across the surrogate motherhood stages. Group members advised each other on specific strategies to use to cope with the state of discreditable (invisible) stigma (i.e., during the first few months of their pregnancies), with different strategies for when the pregnancies became visible and they risked becoming discredited people. Furthermore, group members disclosed that they used these strategies even when they returned to their previous family and work routines. Theoretically, our findings challenge Goffman's classic theoretical dichotomy and coping research concerning discreditable (invisible) and discredited (visible) stigma. (4) Conclusion: Our findings indicate that surrogate mothers anticipate experiencing stigma and therefore plan for it by discussing potential coping strategies in the online group. Moreover, any intervention designed to cater to the needs of surrogate mothers must, therefore, take into consideration the social needs of their entire family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphna Yeshua-Katz
- Department of Communication Studies, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;
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