MeST talk: Entanglements in the emergence of Uterus Transplantation: Reflections on contingencies, contexts and close relations

By Lisa Guntram, Associate professor, Linköping University

In the medical literature on uterus transplantation, it is often underscored
that uterus transplantation delivers what the alternatives of surrogacy and
adoption cannot, namely gestational parenthood. At the same time, concerns
have been raised about the ethical challenges of the procedure, primarily
with respect to the potential medical risks for the donor, the recipient, and
the intended child. In this talk I would like to take the opportunity to look
back at my own research on different actors’ accounts and experiences of
uterus transplantation. I focus in particular on tensions that may appear to be
less tangible than those that addressed in common risk-benefit analyses but
still stand out as substantial in the accounts of those involved. What “gaps”
may such tensions help us highlight in the emerging discussion of “societal
dimensions” in UTx-IVF ethics.

Lisa Guntram is associate professor at the Department of Thematic Studies –
Technology and Social Change, Linköping University, Sweden. In her research she
takes an interest in how different actors make sense of embodiment and norms in
medical encounters, for example in two projects on uterus transplantation;
“Shaping ethics – Shrouding ethics” (funded by LiU and RJ) and “A gift for life?”
(funded by the Swedish Research Council).

Everybody is welcome! Please bring your lunch.