Uterus Transplantation Ethics: Summary of review at the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences

Abstract

The Japanese Association of Medical Sciences established a Uterus Transplantation (UTx) Ethics Review Committee to examine, from the standpoint of medical, ethical, legal, and social perspectives, whether UTx can be performed in Japan. The Committee concluded that carefully designed clinical research studies with a small number of live-donor UTx cases may be conducted. At the same time, comprehensive measures regarding diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with congenital deficiency in the uterus should be established, and it should be requested to include the uterus in the list of legally transplantable organs from deceased donors. Furthermore, an inspection committee jointly formed by the Japanese Society of Transplantation and the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology should be implemented to oversee individual UTx cases.