Ongoing
Reproductive ethics
The implications of ectogestation for defining parenthood
Exploring the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging and speculative ectogestation, and how these may affect existing definitions of parenthood in the UK and internationally.
Principal Investigator
Ilona Cenolli
Research Manager
Allison Milbrath
Background
Ectogestation refers to the speculative use of emerging reproductive technologies enabling gestation - partial or full – to take place outside the human body. While specific terminology is not settled, they are sometimes referred to as artificial womb or artifical amnion and placenta technology. Although still in early development and largely speculative, ectogestation could represent a significant shift in how human reproduction occurs.
Current UK parenthood law is structured around the assumption that pregnancy occurs within a human body. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 utilises the legal principle 'mater semper certa est' (‘the mother is always certain’) and establishes legal motherhood through gestation and at childbirth.
Birth registration systems, as well as key legal mechanisms governing assisted reproduction and surrogacy, are built around this premise. However, it is one that does not readily accommodate scenarios in which gestation and parenting might be separated, nor or where gestation could occur outside the human body.
If realised in practice, ectogestation could challenge the foundations of current legal, ethical and social frameworks in the UK – particularly those governing the attribution of legal parenthood.
Research approach
Through rigorous qualitative research, the project aims to provide inclusive, decision-relevant ethical analysis and interdisciplinary insights to support informed discussion and decision-making among UK regulators, policymakers, law reform bodies, and ethics organisations.
The following project activities have been completed, combining legal analysis, empirical research, and deliberative engagement:
Semi-structured interviews
Next steps will include a thematic report on interview findings, which we expect to publish in early 2027.
Drawing on diverse and informed perspectives
To help inform this project, we conducted semi-structured interviews with people with learned and lived experience relevant to the themes of this research study. We were particularly interested in hearing from those with personal experience of assisted reproduction or alternative routes to family formation, and/or related professional expertise in law, policy, healthcare, social work, or bioethics.
This included:
professionals working in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), law, medicine, sociology, bioethics, or related fields;
individuals who have experienced infertility, fertility treatment, adoption, or surrogacy;
people born through assisted reproduction, such as donor conception;
individuals who have considered or explored assisted reproductive technologies, and/or
members of LGBTQ+ communities whose family formation pathways may intersect with these technologies
Interviews were held on a rolling basis between March and September 2026 and have now concluded.
We would like to thank everyone who participated for their insightful contributions to this work, which will help inform the project’s analysis of the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging reproductive technologies.