Blog.
06/25/2017
Minnesota Fall Aging Conference
06/24/2017
Heavy Metal Music and Medical Futility
06/23/2017
2017 Humanities in Medicine Conference – Crossing Disciplines: Strategies for Humanizing One Another
06/23/2017
2017 Humanities in Medicine Conference – Crossing Disciplines: Strategies for Humanizing One Another
The field of oncofertility emerged to preserve the fertility of cancer patients whose treatment might render them as infertile or sterile. Today, the field of fertility preservation has expanded to other patient populations whose medical treatment may affect their fertility. One such population is transgender individuals undergoing gender affirming treatments. Although research on transgender individuals is limited overall and in particular regarding issues surrounding reproduction, transgender individuals are interested in biological reproduction. Because various gender affirming treatments will permanently affect their fertility, such as hormonal treatment and surgical removal of the gonads, it is important for transgender individuals to be offered fertility preservation before they start these treatments.
There are, however, some factors that may make fertility preservation difficult or less attractive of an option for transgender individuals. Healthcare professionals offering fertility preservation should be aware of these factors so they can help mitigate them. Here I will discuss two of them.
First, undergoing fertility preservation treatment can be stressful for both transgender and cisgender people, but there are some unique challenges for transgender individuals. Individuals with gender dysphoria may find it particularly difficult to undergo procedures involving anatomy that is discordant with their identity. For example, transgender women who are asked to retrieve sperm via masturbation may find this request exacerbates their gender dysphoria and may not be possible to do. Transgender men who are asked to undergo vaginal ultrasounds may find this psychologically traumatic. In recognizing how fertility preservation treatment can be particularly difficult for transgender individuals, healthcare professionals should be prepared to find ways to alleviate these difficulties, such as by offering surgical methods of sperm retrieval for transgender women and sedating transgender men during vaginal ultrasounds.
Second, the gametes retrieved and frozen will not match the gender identity of transgender patients (i.e. a transgender woman will bank sperm and a transgender man will bank eggs). This discordance may not matter for some transgender individuals, but it could affect others. At least one older study found that having frozen discordant gametes made it difficult for some transgender individuals to move forward with their lives in their gender identity. More research is needed in this area to understand if and how this discordance affects transgender individuals today. Healthcare professionals should be aware of this potential discordance between gender identity and frozen gametes, but it should not be a reason to deny fertility preservation to transgender patients.
In addition to the two factors I have discussed here, there are other factors at play in fertility preservation for transgender individuals. Fertility preservation is becoming more common for transgender individuals undergoing gender affirming treatment and consequently healthcare professionals treating these individuals should be aware of some of the unique challenges this patient population faces. For more information on this topic, check out the “Proceedings of the Working Group Session on Fertility Preservation for Individuals with Gender and Sex Diversity.”
The Alden March Bioethics Institute offers a Master of Science in Bioethics, a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics, and Graduate Certificates in Clinical Ethics and Clinical Ethics Consultation. For more information on AMBI's online graduate programs, please visit our website.
Several sessions at next week's National Right to Life Conference address end-of-life medicine, including the general session: How to Prevent an Assisted Suicide Roe v. Wade.Assisted Suicide Battles Rage in Nearly Every State: Is Your State Next?
Mary Hahn Beerworth, Scott Fischbach
The threat of doctor-prescribed suicide is advancing in the states. Moreover, the next Supreme Court nomination could lead to legalization of euthanasia nationwide. Assisting suicide is now legal in California, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and, via the courts in Montana. With battles raging in states
across the country, the ongoing battle in Vermont will be discussed as will other battles nationwide. This workshop will give background and break open the myths surrounding doctor-prescribed suicide. The speakers will cover the current legal and legislative landscape, describe some different kinds of successful winning (and losing strategies), and talk about what you can do in your own state. In the wake of massive state legislative push and upcoming Supreme Court nominations, it is more important than ever that doctor-prescribed suicide be stopped in its tracks.
The Battle Against Simon’s Law: How Dirty Tricks Lost To Smart Negotiations
Kathy Ostrowski
When hospitals choose to fight against parental decision-making rights – the battle for life can take two paths, and only one leads to life. This workshop will provide a firsthand account of those who fought for Simon’s Law in Kansas. Simon’s Law is a very significant pro-life measure that combats selectively “rationed” care and medical discrimination against children with life-limiting diagnoses. Kathy Ostrowski will share how the triumph of artful dialogue beat back bullying tactics and whisper campaigns. She will delve into the frontal attacks on Simon’s Law and reveal a hidden battle plan, offering an explanation of how negotiations with a Catholic hospital chain led to a pro-life win.
Terri’s Legacy: Building a Network that Will Save Lives - Bobby Schindler
It’s every family’s worst nightmare: a loved one is desperately ill and doctors refuse treatment on the grounds that the care is “futile.” Where do you turn? Whom do you call? Hospital ethics committees, family members who stand to gain financially, and promoters of the euthanasia movement are working together to end the lives of the medically vulnerable every day. It is time for the pro-life movement to stand in the gap and do what it does best: advocate for life. Find out how you can help the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network build a nationwide network of medical and legal professionals willing to step in and advocate for the lives of those who are at risk. The time to act is now — the lives you save
could be closer to home than you ever thought possible.
Advance Care Planning” — Helping You to Enforce Your Wishes or Nudging You to Accept Premature Death? - Jennifer Popik, J.D.
Learn how “advance care planning” mavens are using wily methods to “nudge” people into agreeing to sign away their right to live — and how to resist.
Beyond Assisted Suicide: Are We Prepared? - Brian Johnston
How far is the culture of death planning to go? How far are civilized individuals willing to go to stop it? The right to life movement draws its name from the founding documents of the United States of America, a nation which boldly asserted the distillation of Western civilization’s hopes and dreams and values. Without the right to life the foundations of Western society have nothing on which to rest. The self-evident truth of a human being’s unique stature in the eyes of the law, and a just government’s duty toward life, is the foundation of all our other laws.
Several sessions at next week's National Right to Life Conference address end-of-life medicine, including the general session: How to Prevent an Assisted Suicide Roe v. Wade.Assisted Suicide Battles Rage in Nearly Every State: Is Your State Next?
Mary Hahn Beerworth, Scott Fischbach
The threat of doctor-prescribed suicide is advancing in the states. Moreover, the next Supreme Court nomination could lead to legalization of euthanasia nationwide. Assisting suicide is now legal in California, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and, via the courts in Montana. With battles raging in states
across the country, the ongoing battle in Vermont will be discussed as will other battles nationwide. This workshop will give background and break open the myths surrounding doctor-prescribed suicide. The speakers will cover the current legal and legislative landscape, describe some different kinds of successful winning (and losing strategies), and talk about what you can do in your own state. In the wake of massive state legislative push and upcoming Supreme Court nominations, it is more important than ever that doctor-prescribed suicide be stopped in its tracks.
The Battle Against Simon’s Law: How Dirty Tricks Lost To Smart Negotiations
Kathy Ostrowski
When hospitals choose to fight against parental decision-making rights – the battle for life can take two paths, and only one leads to life. This workshop will provide a firsthand account of those who fought for Simon’s Law in Kansas. Simon’s Law is a very significant pro-life measure that combats selectively “rationed” care and medical discrimination against children with life-limiting diagnoses. Kathy Ostrowski will share how the triumph of artful dialogue beat back bullying tactics and whisper campaigns. She will delve into the frontal attacks on Simon’s Law and reveal a hidden battle plan, offering an explanation of how negotiations with a Catholic hospital chain led to a pro-life win.
Terri’s Legacy: Building a Network that Will Save Lives - Bobby Schindler
It’s every family’s worst nightmare: a loved one is desperately ill and doctors refuse treatment on the grounds that the care is “futile.” Where do you turn? Whom do you call? Hospital ethics committees, family members who stand to gain financially, and promoters of the euthanasia movement are working together to end the lives of the medically vulnerable every day. It is time for the pro-life movement to stand in the gap and do what it does best: advocate for life. Find out how you can help the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network build a nationwide network of medical and legal professionals willing to step in and advocate for the lives of those who are at risk. The time to act is now — the lives you save
could be closer to home than you ever thought possible.
Advance Care Planning” — Helping You to Enforce Your Wishes or Nudging You to Accept Premature Death? - Jennifer Popik, J.D.
Learn how “advance care planning” mavens are using wily methods to “nudge” people into agreeing to sign away their right to live — and how to resist.
Beyond Assisted Suicide: Are We Prepared? - Brian Johnston
How far is the culture of death planning to go? How far are civilized individuals willing to go to stop it? The right to life movement draws its name from the founding documents of the United States of America, a nation which boldly asserted the distillation of Western civilization’s hopes and dreams and values. Without the right to life the foundations of Western society have nothing on which to rest. The self-evident truth of a human being’s unique stature in the eyes of the law, and a just government’s duty toward life, is the foundation of all our other laws.