Abstract
Recent advances in immunology have broken barriers in reproductive medicine through immune-modulating therapies that support fertility and pregnancy. Treatments such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and intralipid infusions are increasingly offered to patients with Recurrent Implantation Failure (RIF) or Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL), conditions that result in miscarriages and failed IVF treatments (Pillarysetti et al., 2023). Maternal-fetal immunology reveals a delicate interplay between immune tolerance and defense: the maternal system must accept a genetically foreign fetus while preserving immunological protection. Disruptions in this balance are implicated in implantation disorders and pregnancy failure. As a result, immune-based therapies have emerged as promising interventions, though they raise ethical concerns about informed consent, medical paternalism, patient safety, and the tension between autonomy and provider responsibility. Despite their potential, patient decision-making may be undermined by misinformation and the emotional vulnerability of grieving parents. Consequently, reproductive immunotherapy occupies an ethically fraught space demanding clearer regulatory oversight and attention to moral considerations. Upholding reproductive autonomy requires more than offering treatment; it necessitates transparent, evidence-based, and ethically sound practices. This thesis examines ethical and informed consent challenges in reproductive immunology, focusing on gaps between patient understanding and therapeutic risks, conflicts between maternal and fetal interests, and the commercialization of these therapies in private fertility clinics. It draws on bioethical principles and alternative frameworks such as relational autonomy and the ethics of care.
Recommended Citation
Rizvi, M. Z. (2025). Reproductive Autonomy In Immunological Intervention: Ethical Boundaries in Maternal-Fetal Immune Therapy. Journal of Health Ethics, 21(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.18785/jhe.2101.06DOI Link
Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Commons, Immune System Diseases Commons, Medical Immunology Commons, Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons, Reproductive and Urinary Physiology Commons, Therapeutics Commons
