American Journal of Bioethics.
We report on the case of a 2-year-old female, the youngest person ever to undergo ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC). This patient was diagnosed with a rare form of sickle cell disease, which required a bone-marrow transplant, and late effects included high risk of future infertility or complete sterility. Ethical concerns are raised, as the patient’s mother made the decision for OTC on the patient’s behalf with the intention that this would secure the option of biological childbearing in the future. Based on Beauchamp and Childress’s principlism approach of respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice, pursing OTC was ethically justified.
Open Peer Commentaries.
- Reproductive Autonomy Is an Illusion
- Juvenile Ovarian Tissue Cyropreservation and Social Justice: An Imperative to Broaden the Discussion
- Preserving Capabilities
- The Ethical Status of Prophylactic Interventions in Children: Ovarian Tissue Cyropreservation and Vaccination
- The Missing Piece(s)
- Reframing the Justice Implications of Preserving the Right to Future Children
