Survey of medical student attitudes regarding uterine transplant for cisgender and transgender women: an observational study

TL;DR

This study explores medical students' attitudes toward uterine transplants for cisgender and transgender women, finding some ethical concerns and gender-based differences in responses.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into medical students' ethical perspectives on uterine transplants for transgender women and gender-based differences in attitudes.

Findings

A majority of respondents believed clinicians should be allowed to conscientiously object to uterine transplants regardless of gender identity.

Female respondents were more consistent in their answers to paired questions compared to male respondents.

Only a small percentage of respondents would personally object to uterine transplants for transgender women.

Abstract

This study wishes to survey medical students’ attitudes regarding legality of, funding for, and conscientious objection to uterine transplant (UTx) in cisgender and transgender women.

Medical students were invited to complete an online anonymous survey from March 18, 2024 to April 1, 2024. Baseline demographics collected, and four-point Likert scales were used on four pairs of questions to evaluate attitudes regarding UTx for cisgender and transgender women. Subject responses to paired questions were analyzed using Fisher’s Exact Test. Strength of correlation between the paired questions were analyzed with Spearman’s Correlation.

A total of 96 responses were collected and 66 responses answering at least one of questions 5 to 8 were included in the final dataset. Nineteen (29%) self-identified as male and forty-three (65%) as female. A majority of respondents (72%) believed that a clinician should be able to object conscientiously to UTx regardless of gender identity, but only 14% would personally object to any UTx. A minority of respondents (10%) would object only to UTx for transgender women. Overall, female respondents (Correlation Coefficient average = 0.939) were more likely to select the same answer to paired questions regardless of gender identity compared to their male counterparts (Correlation Coefficient average = 0.558).

This study shows some division among medical students regarding their attitudes toward UTx for cisgender and transgender women. For medical students willing to participate in UTx for cisgender but not transgender patients, additional ethical analysis is needed to determine whether these attitudes constitute invidious discrimination.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07588-8.

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