The Ethics of Artificial Uteruses

Book excerpt: Ectogenesis, the gestation of the foetus outside of the human body, will not for much longer be in the realm of science fiction; a number of projects attempting to develop ectogenetic technology are currently under way. This book examines the ethical implications of the development of ectogenesis. Examining the implications for abortion ethics in particular, this book also deals with the ethical objections to developing such a technology and the uses to which it may be put, such as creating embryos to supply donor organs for transplantation. The development of the artificial uterus may well be similar to cloning: a sudden technological advance with dramatic ethical implications, thrust suddenly into the public eye.