Surrogacy
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Surrogacy refers to an arrangement whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant for the purpose of gestating and giving birth to a child for others to raise. She may be the child's genetic mother or not, depending on the type of arrangement agreed to.
The word surrogate just means appointed to act in the place of.
A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a child for a couple or single person with the intention of giving that child to that person/people once the being is born (also called surrogate pregnancy). The surrogate mother may be the baby's biological mother (traditional surrogacy) or she may be implanted with someone else's fertilized egg (gestational surrogacy).
Legal issues
Such an arrangement requires legal intervention, as the laws regarding assisted reproduction differ from state to state and country to country. It is important that each party in such arrangements has a clear understanding of the risks involved with such arrangements.The most famous case of surrogacy was the Baby M case, in which the surrogate mother refused to surrender the child she had borne in 1986 to the child's biological father. In 1988, a family court in New Jersey awarded custody to the biological father and visitation rights to the surrogate mother.
Compensation
Contracted motherhood agreements can be divided into two categories: commercial and non-commercial, or “altruistic.” Commercial contracted motherhood arrangements are those in which the party seeking a child agree to pay a fee to the surrogate beyond the cost of her medical needs. In contrast non-commercial or “altruistic” contracted motherhood arrangements are those where the surrogate agrees to receive no payment or reward, although it is rare that a total non-commercial agreement is ever made as it is expected that the commissioning party will pay the pregnant woman’s medical bills. Altrustic agreements are often between parties who are family or friends prior to the arrangement.It is estimated that in the United States, the payment for a surrogate mother ranges between US$10,000 and $20,000, the whole procedure can cost $45,000 to $60,000. According to a poll on www.surromomsonline.com, fees anywhere from $10,000 to 30,000+ are considered fair by the surrogates themselves; with most voting in the $17,000-$22,000 range. The fees for the rest of the process- including fertility clinics; lawyers; medical fees; and agencies and/or egg donors (if they're used) generally cost more than the fee going to the surrogate. Gestational surrogacy costs more than traditional surrogacy, since more complicated medical procedures are required. Surrogates who carry a baby for a family member (i.e., sister or daughter) usually do so without reimbursement.
Contrary to popular belief, surrogate mothers are not all poor women being exploited for their fertility. Many are middle-class women who want to help make families. They come from all walks of life. Some are done having children of their own, while some want more children in the future.
Who chooses surrogacy?
Surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction.In some cases it is the only available option for a couple who wish to have a child that is genetically related to at least one of them. People who choose surrogacy may be:
- single men or gay male couples
- heterosexual couples who are unable to have children due to a difficulty suffered by either partner.
- single women or lesbian couples who don't want to go through pregnancy or artificial insemination
- A female, married or otherwise, who is infertile for some reason.
It has been suggested that one of the major motivations for turning to this method of reproduction is the difficulties associated with adoption in contemporary society. These include the fact that changes in social attitudes and legislation have led to fewer women placing their children up for adoption, and couples may wish to avoid being asked to adopt a child of a different race or having to go through the difficulties of international adoption.
The biological connection
There are two major types of surrogacy:
- Partial or genetic contracted motherhood (also known as traditional surrogacy), in which the gestational mother is impregnated with the sperm of the commissioning father (usually through artificial insemination). In these cases, the gestational mother is both the genetic and gestational mother of the child, however she relinquishes her role of social mother to the commissioning mother.
- Complete or gestational contracted motherhood (also known as gestational surrogacy). Using in vitro fertilisation (IVF), the Intended Parents produce an embryo that can then be transplanted into the surrogate mother for her to gestate and give birth to after nine months. In gestational contracted motherhood the pregnant woman makes no genetic contribution to the child, however she is the child’s birth mother.
Emotional issues
The emotions involved in surrogacy are very strong on both sides. Mothers should make sure they have appropriate support before choosing surrogacy. Support organizations exist for couples choosing this option.Research carried out by the Family and Child Psychology Research Centre at City University, London, UK in 2002 showed surrogate mothers rarely had difficulty relinquishing rights to a surrogate child and that the commissioning mothers showed greater warmth to the child than mothers conceiving naturally.
Most surrogacies end without problems, with the parents getting their child(ren). Most stories (especially movie dramas) about the subject focus on the problems of the practice, and on the conflicts that may arise from it, but this is not so common in reality.
External links
- [Surrogacy UK - The organisation formed to support and inform anyone with an interest in surrogacy within the UK]
- [Industry Standards, Licensing, and Regulations for Third Party Reproduction]
- [Personal Accounts of Surrogate Mothers & Intended Parents]
- [Surrogacy - the issues]
- [An Online Community of Surrogate Mothers, Intended Parents and Egg Donors]
- [A Virtual Meeting Ground for the Surrogacy Community]
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