Male pregnancy 2094394 226107849 2008-07-16T21:19:00Z Zandperl 26861 /* Pregnancy among intersex and transgender people */ removed looped reference {{otheruses4|pregnancy in male organisms|the sympathetic condition|Couvade}} '''Male pregnancy''' refers to the incubation of one or more [[embryo]]s or [[fetuses]] by the '''[[male]]''' of any species. Almost all '''[[pregnancy|pregnancies]]''' in the [[animal kingdom]] are carried by [[female]] organisms. In all [[heterogamous]] species, the males produce the [[spermatozoa]] and rarely, if ever, host the [[zygote]].<ref name="scidirect">{{cite web | url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VRT-49SN5B1-5&_user=10&_handle=V-WA-A-W-WD-MsSAYWW-UUA-U-AAZAEZDBBD-AACECVYABD-ACYAVUUBU-WD-U&_fmt=full&_coverDate=10%2F14%2F2003&_rdoc=18&_orig=browse&_srch=%23toc%236243%232003%23999869979%23464936!&_cdi=6243&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=08311121da42f6825bc092a851bda224 | title=Male pregnancy | date=2003-10-14 | publisher=[[ScienceDirect]]}}</ref> The [[Syngnathidae]] family of fish has the unique characteristic where females lay their [[egg (biology)|eggs]] in a brood pouch on the male's chest, and the male incubates the eggs. Fertilization may take place in the pouch or before implantation in the water. Included in Syngnathidae are [[seahorse]]s, the [[pipefish]], and the [[weedy sea dragon|weedy]] and [[leafy sea dragon]]s. Syngnathidae is the only family in the animal kingdom to which the term "male pregnancy" has been applied.<ref name="biology>{{cite journal | last = Jones | first = Adam G. | coauthors = Avise, John C. | title = Male Pregnancy | journal = Current Biology | volume = 13 | issue = 20 | pages = R791 | date = [[2003-10-14]] | url = http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VRT-49SN5B1-5&_user=10&_handle=V-WA-A-W-WD-MsSAYWW-UUA-U-AAZAEZDBBD-AACECVYABD-ACYAVUUBU-WD-U&_fmt=full&_coverDate=10%2F14%2F2003&_rdoc=18&_orig=browse&_srch=%23toc%236243%232003%23999869979%23464936!&_cdi=6243&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=08311121da42f6825bc092a851bda224 | format = [[HTML]] | doi = 10.1016/j.cub.2003.09.045 }}</ref> ==In humans== ===Pregnancy among intersex and transgender people=== <!-- A previous edit commented here: "some citations are to now-defunct web pages or to sites that do not appear to be reliable sources; Some look like outright bogus, fake or scam websites. Please provide peer-reviewed journal citations." Please discuss this further on the talk page. Articles about the experiences of these individuals are not likely to appear in peer-reviewed journals. --> Some [[intersex]] people with XY chromosomes develop entirely female bodies and, if the individual has a [[uterus]], can [[gestation|gestate]] an embryo conceived in the lab.<ref>Khadilkar, Vaman. [http://www.pediatriconcall.com/fordoctor/Conference_abstracts/Endocrine_problems_in_neonatal_period.asp "Intersex Disorders"], Pediatrician On Call web site, "It is possible for XY individuals with a uterus to become pregnant through In Vitro Fertilization.", last accessed [[2008-01-02]]</ref> The typical [[karyotype]] for a male is XY, so in this case the pregnant person has a [[Y chromosome]]. Some [[transman|transmen]] (female-to-male [[transgender]] people) who interrupt [[hormone treatment]]s can become pregnant, while still identifying and living as male. This is possible for individuals who still have functioning [[ovary|ovaries]].<ref>FTM Transgender. [http://www.geocities.com/fasterthanlife_2000/ftm.html - FAMILY/Hormone guide for FTM], "Question 2" (geocities) last accessed [[2008-07-02]]</ref> For example, Matt Rice bore a child in 1999 by [[artificial insemination]] during his relationship with writer [[Patrick Califia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0025,califia-rice,15833,1.html | title=Two Dads With a Difference — Neither of Us Was Born Male | publisher=''[[Village Voice]]'' | date=2000-06-20 | accessdate=2008-03-22 | last=Califia-Rice | first=Patrick | authorlink=Patrick Califia}}</ref> Thomas Beatie , who chose to become pregnant because his wife was infertile, wrote an article about his pregnancy in ''[[The Advocate]]''. ''[[The Washington Post]]'' further broadened the story on [[March 25]] when [[blogger]] [[Emil Steiner]] called Beatie's pregnancy the first legally male pregnancy on record,<ref>[http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2008/03/will_thomas_beatie_be_the_firs.html Thomas Beatie: The First Man to Give Birth?] [[washingtonpost.com]] OFF/beat blog [[March 25th]], [[2008]]</ref> in reference to the state of [[Oregon]] recognizing Beatie as a man. He gave birth to a girl on 29 June 2008.<ref>[http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20210491,00.html The Pregnant Man Gives Birth] people.com, Originally posted Thursday July 03, 2008 02:55 PM EDT</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/04/usa.gender 'Pregnant man' gives birth to baby girl] guardian.co.uk</ref> Although these individuals are genetically and physiologically female, from an [[identity politics|identity standpoint]] they are pregnant men. ===The science of a human male abdominal ectopic pregnancy=== {{speculation|date=June 2008}}{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}}<!-- pravda.ru article cites RYT Hospital-Dwayne Medical Center, which is a well-known hoax site. [[WP:RS]] Please. --> <!--all reference's in the end of the section, supported by Dr Robert Winston, Glenn McGee, Mats Brannstrom--> Since most [[man|men]] lack a [[womb]], alternative measures would have to be made for an [[ectopic pregnancy#Nontubal ectopic pregnancy|abdominal ectopic pregnancy]].{{Fact|date=June 2008}}<!-- [[WP:RS]] needed --> Oral doses of female [[hormone]]s would be administered to the man to make him receptive to the pregnancy. [[In vitro]] [[fertilization]] techniques would be used to induce an [[ectopic pregnancy]] by implanting an [[embryo]] and [[placenta]] into the [[abdominal]] cavity, just under or into the [[peritoneum]].{{Fact|date=June 2008}}<!-- [[WP:RS]] needed --> In women, such pregnancies have 5% viability rate. Once [[implantation]] was complete, the man would stop taking hormones, because the pregnancy itself would take over.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}<!-- [[WP:RS]] needed --> The embryo would secrete sufficient hormones to maintain its own growth and development{{Fact|date=June 2008}} The delivery would require open surgery ([[Cesarean section]]) to remove the baby and the placenta. The latter would be the real danger because it forms such intimate connections with surrounding [[blood vessel]]s that a massive [[hemorrhage]] would be likely. Implantation might also involve other structures in the abdomen, including the bowel, and it is possible that parts of other organs might have to be removed. Several physicians who were well-accustomed to advanced and dangerous forms of ectopic pregnancies would have be on-hand to handle any complications{{Fact|date=June 2008}} The real problem with a male pregnancy of this type is not its plausibility, but if the man could survive it. In women, ectopic pregnancies are generally removed as soon as possible. The fetus would also be in danger of complications because it would be deprived of the protection of a uterus.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}<!-- [[WP:RS]] needed --> An alternative to simple induction of an ectopic pregnancy is the use of a womb transplant from a donor, or an artificial one.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}<!-- [[WP:RS]] needed --> The first [[uterine transplant]] was performed in [[Saudi Arabia]] in [[2000]], from one woman to another. This advance drew speculation about the possibility of a male receiving a womb transplant, and bearing a child from the transplanted womb.<ref>Meryl Rothstein. [http://www.popsci.com/popsci/futurebody/0a6d9371b1d75010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html www.popsci.com] "Robert Winston, a pioneer of in-vitro fertilization, created a stir in 1999 when he told London’s Sunday Times that “male pregnancy would certainly be possible.”" Dr Robert Winston, a pioneer of in-vitro fertilization, bioethicist Glenn McGee</ref> Womb transplants to males have been successfully performed in animals.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}<!-- The pravda page cited RYT Hospital-Dwayne Medical clinic, a known hoax (or artistic presentation), as reported by the popsci.com cite. Please carefully check sources before adding them as citations. --><ref name="independent2">{{cite web | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990222/ai_n14206683 | title=Babies borne by men 'possible' | date=1999-02-22 | publisher=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> ===Fetus in fetu=== {{main|Fetus in fetu}} An extremely rare condition in which a fetus can grow inside a male (or female) body is called "[[fetus in fetu]]". This is a [[developmental abnormality]] in which a fertilised egg splits as if to form [[identical twins]], but one half gets enveloped by the other, and an entire living organ system with torso and limbs can develop inside the host.<ref name="Chua">{{cite journal | last =Chua | first =JHY | authorlink = | coauthors =Chui CH, Sai Prasad TR et al. | title =Fetus-in-fetu in the pelvis |journal =Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore | volume =34 | issue = | pages =646–649 | publisher = | date =2005 | url =http://annals.edu.sg/pdf/34VolNo10200511/V34N10p646.pdf | doi = | id = | accessdate = }}</ref> The abnormality occurs in 1 in 500,000 live births.<ref>Grant P, Pearn JH Foetus-in-foetu. Med J Aust. 1969; 1:1016-1020<!-- someone needs to read this paper for evidence supporting the clained incidence --> — source not consulted; cited here following Hoeffel CC, Nguyen KQ, Phan HT, Truong NH, Nguyen TS, Tran TT, Fornes P. Fetus in fetu: a case report and literature review. Pediatrics. 2000 Jun;105(6):1335-44. {{PMID|10835078}} [http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/105/6/1335 free full text]</ref> The case of Sanju Bhagat, a man from [[Nagpur|Nagpur, India]], attracted attention in 1999 for the length of time (36 years) he had carried his parasitic twin inside his body, and the size of the growth. Since Bhagat had no placenta, the growth had connected directly to his blood supply. <ref> {{cite web |url=http://i.abcnews.com/Health/Story?id=2346476&page=1 |title=ABC News: A Pregnant Man? |publisher=i.abcnews.com |accessdate=2008-03-27 }} </ref> ==In fiction== ===Mythology=== Various [[mythologies]] feature male characters giving birth, but such events typically take place in an entirely different fashion than an ordinary female pregnancy, such as [[Athena]] springing fully-formed from [[Zeus]]'s forehead, or [[Dionysus]] being born from his thigh. In [[Hindu]] mythology, Lord [[Vishnu]] gives birth to Lord [[Brahma]] thus: a [[lotus]] emerges from his [[navel]], like an external [[placenta]] and [[womb]], carrying Brahma within. Male mythological figures may become pregnant when rendered female in some way, such as the [[shapeshifting|shapeshifter]] [[Loki]] turning into a [[mare (horse)|mare]] to distract a [[stallion (horse)|stallion]] and ending up giving birth to [[Sleipnir]]. ===In popular culture=== {{See also|Pregnancy in science fiction}} Thematically, pregnancy can be related to the issues of [[parasitism]] and [[gender]]. Some [[science fiction]] writers have picked up on these issues, in "cross-gender" themes &mdash; e.g., [[Octavia E. Butler]]'s ''[[Bloodchild]]''. [[Ursula K. Le Guin]]'s award-winning ''[[The Left Hand of Darkness]]'', which contains the sentence "The king was pregnant", explores a society in which pregnancy can be experienced by anyone, since gender is variable within each person's lifetime. [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s ''Ethan of Athos'' features an all-male society in which men use artificial wombs, but experience many of the [[couvade|psychological effects of pregnancy]] (anticipation, anxiety, etc.). In [[Marge Piercy]]'s feminist [[utopia]]n novel ''[[Woman on the Edge of Time]]'', neither men nor women get pregnant, leaving that to artificial wombs, but both sexes may [[breastfeeding|lactate and nurse the infant]]; the specifically female experiences of pregnancy and nursing were opened to men in the cause of [[gender equality]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Piercy | first = Marge | authorlink = Marge Piercy | title = Woman on the Edge of Time | publisher = Fawcett | date = [[1985-11-12]] | id = ISBN 0-449-21082-0 }}</ref> [[Sheri S. Tepper]] uses male pregnancy as a form of political commentary in ''The Fresco'', when intergalactic peace officers take politicians at their word that all life is sacred. Male pregnancy has featured on television. In season 4 of the popular [[machinima]] series ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'', a [[Covenant Elite]] impregnated Tucker with a parasitic embryo. At the end of the season Tucker gave birth to a miniature [[extraterrestrial life|alien]] off-screen; it was named Blargity-Blarg Tucker, and is also called Junior or Abomination. Two comedy films centered around male pregnancy: ''[[Rabbit Test (film)|Rabbit Test]]'' (1978) and ''[[Junior (film)|Junior]]'' (1994). The latter's attempts are somewhat scientifically feasible; the former does not address the matter. In the cartoon [[The Fairly Odd Parents]], are the male fairies who carry the children. Babies are taken out by magic. In the [[Sims 2]], both sexes can have babies while in the adult stage. Males can be taken by aliens and come back expecting an alien baby. Luckliy for the male sims, one they gives birth, the alien sim can be raise like a normal sim. Virgil Wong, a [[performance art]]ist, created a [[hoax|hoax site]] claiming to detail his pregnancy<ref name="virgilwong">{{cite web | url=http://www.virgilwong.com |title=Virgil Wong website | accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref> featuring a fictitious male pregnancy.<ref name="malepregnancy">Hoax website: {{cite web | url=http://www.malepregnancy.com |title=POP! The First Human Male Pregnancy | accessdate=2008-03-27}}</ref><ref>Lee Mingwei. [http://www.leemingwei.com/mingwei-web/mingweiFrameset-1.htm Mingwei] "Male Pregnancy Project, Centre d’Art Santa Monica, Barcelona, Spain"</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Reproduction]] [[Category:Andrology]] [[Category:Pregnancy]] [[ja:男性の妊娠]]