The journey from infertility to uterus transplantation: A mixed-methods study of the perspectives of participants in the Dallas Uterus Transplant Study (DUETS)

Objective: To study the impact of absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI) and uterus transplantation (UTx) on women, and UTx recipients’ perceptions of Utx and reproductive autonomy Design: Convergent mixed-methods study. Setting: UTx program in a large academic medical centre in the United States. Population/Sample: 20 Utx recipients Methods: A medical chart review was conducted to collect patient demographic information, and clinical outcomes. Semi-structured interviews collected information regarding participants’ experience. Main Outcome Measure(s): The outcomes of interest were participants’ experience of infertility, experience with UTx, and general perceptions of UTx. Results: 7 participants were pregnant (one with a second child), 6 had experienced early graft failure and removal, 5 had delivered a healthy baby, and 4 had a viable graft and were awaiting embryo transfer. The primary themes identified were: the negative impact of AUFI diagnosis on psychological wellbeing, relationships, and female identity; the positive impact of UTx on healing the emotional scars of AUFI, female identity, and value of research trial participation; and the perception of UTx as an expansion of reproductive autonomy. All participants reported Utx was worthwhile, regardless of individual outcome. On bivariate analysis, disease aetiology, having a child after uterus transplantation, experiencing graft failure and current pregnancy were not significantly associated with the impact of AUFI or of UTx on participants’ identities. Conclusion: AUFI has a negative impact on women from a young age, affects multiple relationships, and challenges female identity. UTx helps reverse this impact, transforming women’s life narrative of infertility and enhancing female identity.