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Ectogenesis

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Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics

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Abstract

Ectogenesis (reproduction outside the human body) engages bioethical questions from a variety of perspectives. Some suggest that ectogenesis would offer a welcome liberation from the burdens of childbearing, and others regard it as a sinister encroachment on the natural processes of reproduction. This entry discusses the progress of scientific research in this area and outlines the key bioethical responses to the prospect of ectogenesis, including its effects on women, implications for the status of the embryo/fetus, and broader social and political ramifications.

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Further Readings

  • Murphy, T. F. (2012). Research priorities and the future of pregnancy. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 21, 78–89.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ, Norwich, UK

    Anna Smajdor

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  1. Anna Smajdor
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Correspondence to Anna Smajdor .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Henk ten Have

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Smajdor, A. (2015). Ectogenesis. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_159-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_159-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05544-2

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