zlacker

>>iamthi+(OP)
From the article (not all contiguous but related):

> A new frontier, uterus transplants are seen as a source of hope for women who cannot give birth because they were born without a uterus or had to have it removed because of cancer, other illness or complications from childbirth. Researchers estimate that in the United States, 50,000 women might be candidates.

> The transplants are meant to be temporary, left in place just long enough for a woman to have one or two children, and then removed so she can stop taking the immune-suppressing drugs needed to prevent organ rejection.

> The transplants are now experimental, with much of the cost covered by research funds. But they are expensive, and if they become part of medical practice, will probably cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is not clear that insurers will pay, and Dr. Testa acknowledged that many women who want the surgery will not be able to afford it.

While the science is amazing, why go this route rather than having a surrogate mother? I've heard the price of a surrogate is $30-50K.

>>koolba+d4
> While the science is amazing, why go this route rather than having a surrogate mother?

Or even just adoption. Adoption is far cheaper as well.

There are plenty of reasons why people want their own biological children... but this seems like it carries a ton more risk with it. With complications from the transplant and heck even just childbirth.

>>nvahal+45
Yes that's what I was trying to get at. The increased cost comes with significantly increased risk yet the same end result (a biological child).

>>koolba+w5
It's not the same end result. There are huge psychological issues that can come up with being the genetic mother to your child but having someone else carry them for you. Then you also have to figure out how (if?) the surrogate is involved in the child's life at all, how you explain to the child that someone else birthed them, etc. If you ever find yourself favoring one child over another, you'll always wonder if it's because it's not "your" baby.

Basically, it's not as simple as just handing off an embryo to another person and 9 months later acting like nothing happened. There are huge ramifications to a decision like this that don't come with being the birth mother.

>>theli0+Uk
I’m always struck that people overestimate how difficult it is to explain things to children. I think people often project their own discomfort about talking about something onto the child that is hearing about whatever it is.