Abstract: The placenta is a critical organ in pregnancy, yet its physical depiction in medicine remains sparse compared to other anatomical structures. This visual omission reflects deeper historical, cultural, and ethical tensions surrounding reproductive health, maternal-fetal autonomy, and the politics of medical illustration. Our presentation examines how the erasure of the placenta from medical imagery has shaped clinical discourse and public perception.
Historically, medical illustrations have privileged representations of discrete, individuated bodies, reinforcing fetal personhood while marginalizing the maternal-fetal interface. The placenta, which defies binary categorization as either maternal or fetal tissue, disrupts conventional visual narratives and challenges dominant bioethical frameworks. The placenta (along with the umbilical cord) further differentiates itself as the only organ capable of regenerating throughout a person’s lifetime. Its absence in medical illustration has practical consequences: inadequate visual resources may contribute to gaps in patient education, barriers to informed consent for placental-based interventions, and limited recognition of the placenta’s role in emerging medical applications, such as regenerative medicine and organ transplantation.
This presentation situates the placenta within a broader bioethical conversation about what is seen, who decides, and how medical imagery influences policy and practice. By integrating insights from medical humanities, reproductive ethics, and visual studies, we will explore how new imaging technologies, including AI-generated medical illustrations and 3D modeling, could rectify past omissions- or reinforce existing biases.
Keywords: medical illustration, medical education, reproductive health
Learning Objectives:
After participating in this conference, attendees should be able to:
At the end of this session, attendees will be able to analyze the historical and cultural factors contributing to the visual omission of the placenta in medical imagery.
At the end of this session, attendees will be able to evaluate the ethical implications of placental representation for patient education, informed consent, and reproductive health policy.
Upon completion of this session, attendees will be able to identify the role of emerging medical imaging technologies in reshaping the depiction of the placenta in clinical and public discourse.
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