Medical School faculty edits new book on ethics of artificial wombs

Dr Panayiota Nakou, Lecturer in Medical Ethics at the University of Nicosia Medical School, is the editor, alongside Professor Rebecca Bennett, of the recently published book, Science Fiction and the Ethics of Artificial Wombs: Reproductive Futures, by Evie Kendal, Bioethicist and Senior Lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia.

The book explores ectogenesis (gestation in artificial wombs) and examines how science fiction, across literature and film, can help us think critically and imaginatively about the ethical, social and gender implications of future reproductive technologies. Moving beyond familiar dystopian portrayals, it brings together bioethics, feminist philosophy, and cultural analysis to offer a nuanced account of how emerging reproductive technologies may reshape ideas of reproduction, responsibility, and justice.

Reflecting on her role as editor, Dr Nakou commented:

‘This project shows how bioethics can enter into a genuine dialogue with science fiction across both literature and cinema, opening up new ways of thinking about reproductive rights and the future of human reproduction. Science fiction offers a powerful space to test assumptions, imagine both risks and benefits and ask who may be included or excluded as new technologies emerge. It has been a real privilege to collaborate on this volume and to work with such thoughtful scholars. The book is genuinely original, intellectually rich and a pleasure to read, and I’m really excited to see it reach publication’.