The Ethics of Including Pregnant People in Clinical Trials

About this episode:  

Research on the potential impacts of certain medications, vaccines, and interventions on pregnant people and their fetuses is lacking. Much of this is due to culturally perceived risks associated with pregnancy and fears of litigation. In this episode: Ruth Faden, an expert in bioethics, explains how this gap in data can fuel other risks and how to ethically and responsibly include pregnant people in clinical trials.

Note: This conversation builds on a recent episode of playing god?, the podcast from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Listen to that episode here.

Guest: 

Ruth Faden, PhD, MPH, is the Philip Franklin Wagley Professor of Biomedical Ethics and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. 

Host: 

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. 

Show links and related content: 

• Two Bodies, One Prescription—playing god?

• COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• The second wave: Toward responsible inclusion of pregnant women in research—International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics

• Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Medication Use During Pregnancy—Public Health On Call (October 2025)

Transcript information:

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