Surrogacy is the term used when a woman agrees to become pregnant and deliver a child for one of the contracted parties. This gives infertile couples the opportunity to enjoy the fundamental right of raising children. Gay couples and even single men and single women can fulfill their dream of parenthood using this gift of modern science.
Surrogacy is chosen by would-be parents due to a variety of causes including embryo implantation failure, repeated miscarriage, hysterectomy, or a pelvic disorder. Some women experience problems such as dangerously high blood pressure, heart disease, or liver disease, so pregnancy would pose a serious risk to their health.
There are two types of surrogacy options: traditional and gestational. A traditional surrogate mother is a woman who donates her own egg and then carries the pregnancy. The pregnant woman’s egg is fertilized by artificial insemination with the father’s semen or a semen donor. A gestational surrogate, also known as a gestational carrier, is not biologically or genetically related to the child she is carrying. Gestational carriers become pregnant through the process of in vitro fertilization, where an embryo or embryos created from the intended parents’ eggs and sperm (or donor eggs and donor sperm selected by the intended parents) are implanted into the uterus during the 40 week gestational period Intended parents and surrogates should also consider the type of surrogacy arrangement they are comfortable with. There are two common types of arrangements: commercial and altruistic. An altruistic surrogate receives no financial reward, while a commercial surrogate receives compensation for her time and effort. However, in both cases, all expenses related to the pregnancy and childbirth are borne by the intended parents.
Surrogates may be friends or relatives or acquaintances of the caretaker parents. A potential surrogate must be in good general health and be able to carry a pregnancy with minimal risk to her own health. But being a surrogate is an emotionally and physically demanding task. It is important for a woman considering this option to have the support of a partner, family or friends to provide emotional support and practical help during and after the pregnancy. Special attention must be paid to the medical, emotional, legal and practical aspects, and the implications of giving up the child at birth.
Surrogacy is one of the most expensive solutions to infertility and it is an option that not all couples can afford. In a developed country it is estimated that the total cost of surrogacy, including a surrogate mother’s payment, ranges from US$50,000 to US$100,000. But these costs are as low as one tenth in developing countries like India.
Opinion on the morality of surrogacy is divided. Surrogacy is legally accepted in some countries, while it is still not allowed in many countries. This has created a new area of law that is challenging and complicated. However, most of the developed and developing nations have readily accepted this scientific process of turning a couple of children into happy parents.