The impact of uterus transplantation on recipient’s lives
Participants described the impact of uterus transplantation in terms of
four factors. First, uterus transplantation was perceived as a healing
process that allowed them to begin the recovery from the negative impact
of AUFI. Second, participants described the positive psychological
impact that uterus transplantation had on their lives as a contrast to
the negative impact of AUFI. Third, uterus transplantation allowed
participants to regain the opportunity to be a part of common female
experiences, which had been lost with the diagnosis of AUFI. Finally,
participants related the value of participation in uterus
transplantation as an opportunity to help others and actively advocate
for women with AUFI.
The value of the option of uterus transplantation was empowering for
participants and for many, began a healing journey. Participants
described the theme of healing in terms of changing their life
trajectory which was dominated by infertility and its consequences to a
life with more control over their reproductive choices. Moreover,
healing was not merely realised by those participants who had a
successful pregnancy, but was a stepwise process that started with
transplantation and continued with each new experience in the UTx
process: menstruation, embryo transfer, clinical pregnancy, delivery and
motherhood. One participant described how she conceptualised the value
of UTx as an option as follows:
I was never born with this option [UTx]. So, for it to even be on
the table was an instant like, wow, I have the choice. Do I want a
uterus? Do I want to try for this? I had a choice which I never had when
I was first diagnosed… So that was healing in itself. (UTR08_SP)
UTx had a strong healing effect on participants. UTx transformed
participants’ self-identity and perceptions of their life trajectory as
women with infertility who would never have the option to have their own
children. One participant said that with UTx, this was the first time in
her life she could envision herself becoming a mom and be excited about
the prospect of starting a family.(UTR09_SP) Another described her
reaction to learning about the uterus transplant clinical trials as “my
soul kicked back”.(UTR15_CP) Even those participants who did not have
a successful transplant described a positive psychological impact of
having gone through the UTx procedure. They were able to walk away with
a new perception of personal resilience and strength. One participant
talked about how she was incredibly proud of having attempted UTx and
that this will be part of the story that she tells her daughter (through
surrogacy) one day about how hard she worked to become her mother.
Whereas participants perceived that AUFI took away a part of their
female identity, uterus transplant enhanced that facet of their identity
in multiple ways. First, participants described how having a menstrual
cycle was a normalizing experience. One participant commented that she
would now be able to relate to her adopted daughter when she starts her
menstrual cycle.(UTR18_CP) Second, the fact that participants had a
uterus and were trying to get pregnant was also normalizing. They were
now a part of this larger cohort of women who were dealing with the
trials and tribulations associated with assisted reproductive
technologies and were better able to relate to and identify with the
reproductive struggles of other women through this shared experience.
Participants also took pride in the impact of their participation in the
UTx clinical trial on other women with AUFI. Beyond the personal value
of the UTx experience, participants believed that their participation in
UTx was helping to make UTx an option for other women with AUFI in the
future. It was a way to give young women with a new diagnosis of AUFI
hope for their future in terms of having another option for parenthood.
When describing her perception of the value of undergoing UTx, one
participant commented:
And there is now that sixteen or seventeen-year-old finding out, that is
getting diagnosed, and now has hope for the future. Now she has options.
So, was it worth it? Yes. (UTR05_GF)