Artificial Wombs: The Third Era of Human Reproduction and the Likely Impact on French and U.S. Law

Advances in reproductive technology are outpacing statutory and regulatory authority, and artificial wombs as a form of assistive reproductive technology are no longer the subject of science fiction. This article begins with insight to the original ideas of artificial wombs and the subsequent effect these ideas had science and technology at the time. Artificial wombs, being disconnected from the body, were the subjects of dystopian portrayals of society, and many critics denied the possibility that such technology would ever exist. Experiments in the 20th century, however, have made artificial wombs a real possibility. The author explores how artificial wombs would fit within various legal frameworks in France and the U.S., and suggests incorporating surrogacy laws into artificial womb regulation