Commercial surrogacy

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Guide to balance cleaning: 8 simple steps

Weighing the right way

"Commercial surrogacy", "paid surrogacy", "wombs for rent" or "outsourced pregnancies" is a form of surrogate pregnancy in which a gestational carrier is paid carry a child to maturity in her womb and is usually resorted to by well off infertile couples who can afford the cost involved. This procedure is legal in several countries including in India where due to good medical infrastructure, high international demand and ready availability of poor surrogates it is reaching industry proportions.

The procedure involves willing and medically fit surrogate mothers being impregnated in-vitro with the egg and sperm of couples unable to conceive on their own.

Commercial surrogacy has been legal in India since 2002 and in many other countries, including the United States. But India is emerging as a leader making it into what can be called a viable industry rather than a rare fertility treatment.

Ethical issues

Some fear^{[weasel words]} if this practice keeps growing the way it is, it could change from a medical necessity for infertile women to a convenience for the rich with wealthy couples of the West. Many fear^{[weasel words]} that these couples will choose commercial surrogacy over a natural childbirth because the pain and stress of natural childbirth. This would, in theory, cause the whole industry to be farmed out.

Bioethicists are concerned that Indian surrogates are being badly paid for their surrogacy and that in addition they are working as surrogates in a country with a comparitively high maternal death rate. ^[1]

See also

• Assisted reproduction
• Embryo transfer
• Fertility
• Infertility
• In-vitro fertilization
• Pregnancy
• Reproduction
• Surrogacy

References

• Indian women carrying babies for well-off buyers, 'Wombs for rent' pleases women and customers, but raises ethical questions; Monday, December 31, 2007; The Associated Press; CBC News; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• "Business is booming for India commercial surrogacy program" by Associated Press, Dated: Monday, December 31, 2007; The Albuquerque Tribune, NM, USA
• Paid surrogacy driven underground in Canada: CBC report; Wednesday, May 2, 2007; CBC News; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

1. ^ "India's baby farm", The Sun-Herald, 2008-01-06. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.