What Is Uterus Harvesting in 'The Handmaid's Tale'?

Uterus harvesting exists in 'The Handmaid's Tale,' but what is it and is it one thing they do in the e book too? It's a tense thought for handmaids.

Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault and rape.

Spoiler warning: This article comprises spoilers for Season Five of The Handmaid's Tale.

The level of Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale is to assist trade the drop in worldwide births because of a fertility disaster. Of course we now know another reason for the regime is so a group of fellows can be in fee of women's bodies, however extra on that later. Because in the Oct. 12 episode, we be told that younger Esther's uterus was once virtually harvested.

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And even those who know almost the whole lot about the e-book are questioning what uterus harvesting in The Handmaid's Tale is. And, extra importantly, the way it elements into the way forward for Gilead. Which, let's face it, is not doing so great thanks to the worldwide belief of its customs. It's hard to mention of uterus harvesting will likely be more of a *thing* moving forward, but it is possible.

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What is uterus harvesting in 'The Handmaid's Tale'?

In Season 5 of The Handmaid's Tale, Esther, who was once once a kid bride, is principally the new Janine. She refuses to bow right down to Aunt Lydia's expectancies for handmaids and she even goes to drastic lengths to flee. She poisons herself and Janine, but both of them live to tell the tale. When Esther wakes up from her coma, she learns that she's pregnant after being raped through Commander Putnam in an off-camera scene.

Putnam insists that he owns Esther as his handmaid, so he has a proper to do what he desires along with her, in spite of the rape being outdoor of the per month rite. But Esther wasn't yet assigned to his area when he forced himself on her. And, while handmaid rape, ceremonial and otherwise, is rampant in the sequence, this motion is an excessive amount of for different commanders, who vote to execute Putnam.

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Before Esther's being pregnant is revealed, then again, Aunt Lydia sees a physician about what's known as a uterus harvesting. Apparently, that was once the plan for Esther in her comatose state. Uterus harvesting is not fashionable in Gilead in the book, however it feels like the theory is to potentially take Esther's uterus and both use it for an infertile girl or just take it out of Esther to make her sterile.

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We see women who're assigned to the Jezebel's brothel face sterilization early in the series. It's unclear if they have got this executed through getting their uterus taken out, but that is one cause of why the doctor planned to reap Esther's uterus.

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It's not likely that Gilead believes in implanting her uterus in an in a different way infertile wife, especially because it leans into science reasonably than religion. But that could still be some other point of uterus harvesting in The Handmaid's Tale.

In the Eyes On Gilead podcast, the hosts theorize that Esther's uterus harvesting may have been a way for Gilead not to waste any part of her frame prior to probably euthanizing her. Esther is in a coma up till this level and he or she broke the law by way of poisoning somebody. So pulling the plug, so to speak, is sensible too.

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They don't believe in IVF in 'The Handmaid's Tale.'

Fans all the time say that the fertility crisis in The Handmaid's will have been solved with scientific means, like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). But since that is a science-based solution, Gilead founders make use of the speculation of handmaids as intercourse slaves for commanders.

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Then again, one fan on reddit pointed out, uterus harvesting might be the next segment in Gilead's venture to solve the fertility pandemic. It's no longer the similar thing as egg harvesting, by the use of IVF, however it could be Gilead's answer.

We be told in Season 5 that there is a lack of available handmaids in Gilead. So if harvesting the uterus of fertile girls who step out of line is your next step, Esther was nearly some of the sufferers of this system.

Watch The Handmaid's Tale on Wednesdays on Hulu.

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