Why surrogacy is wrong

International surrogacy in India: an unregulated market Owner of US surrogacy agency prosecuted Surrogacy and the celebrity factor Surrogacy and donor conception: the question of parenthood The impact of infertility The Modern Family A Resolution Guide features a chapter on assisted reproduction and surrogacy Surrogacy: what motivates its practice? International surrogacy guidelines in Ireland: improvement or just a headline?

Indian surrogate born twins granted French civil status UK surrogate pregnant for a ninth time with twins Surrogacy lawyer sentenced to prison for international baby-selling Surrogacy: crossing the legal divide International surrogacy: the baby-selling scandal continues International surrogacy: same-sex parenting, domicile and immigration US hospital chain seeks to recoup money following illegal surrogacy ring Surrogacy: is it on the increase?

Further celebrity endorsement fuels demand for international surrogacy Fertility treatment is on the rise in the UK International Surrogacy: British couple allowed to keep children born to two Indian surrogate mothers Surrogacy lawyer in US international baby-selling ring sentenced International surrogacy law: Bulgaria moves to legalize surrogacy Louisa Ghevaert lectures on international surrogacy at The Fertility Show American Bar Association hosts international fertility and surrogacy law congress Surrogacy should not be equated to adoption: a headache for law and policy makers?

International surrogacy article featuring Louisa Ghevaert published in fertility magazine Fertility Road Pink Parenting magazine features article on international surrogacy: navigating the legal pitfalls Fertility treatment and parenting: a quantum shift? Fertility, infertility and parenting: is fertility preservation for women the way forward? UK Donor Link wins temporary reprieve Fertility law, donor conception and surrogacy: Reproductive Medicine UK Donor Link threatened with closure International surrogacy and fertility law: is greater regulation needed?

Surrogacy in focus: the perils and the pitfalls International Surrogacy: Australian couple could face criminal charges following surrogacy in Thailand High Court Judge grants surrogacy parental order in favour of a deceased parent Pink Parenting Magazine features parenting law expert Louisa Ghevaert on the legalities of surrogacy, adoption and fostering Surrogacy or Adoption?

Surrogacy Laws. States Where Surrogacy is Legal. Surrogacy in Alabama. Surrogacy in Georgia. Surrogacy in North Carolina. Surrogacy in South Carolina. Mount Pleasant. North Charleston. Rock Hill. Surrogacy in Tennessee. Infertility Treatment Grants. About Us. Surrogacy Pros and Cons for Intended Parents For hopeful parents , the benefits of surrogacy seem obvious: it is a way to make their dreams of parenthood come true. Here are just a few of the advantages of surrogacy for intended parents: Surrogacy completes families.

For those who have struggled with infertility, LGBT couples , and those with medical conditions that make pregnancy unsafe, surrogacy is often the answer to years of unsuccessful attempts to create a family. Surrogacy allows for genetic connections. Gestational surrogacy often enables one or both parents to maintain a biological relationship with their child. Surrogacy creates relationships.

Many intended parents become close with their surrogate and her family during the process, developing meaningful bonds that can last a lifetime.

Surrogacy involves few surprises. Surrogacy ensures you are involved. Surrogacy is likely to be successful. Surrogates have a proven track record of carrying healthy pregnancies, which often makes surrogacy more likely to be successful than fertility treatments for intended parents.

Many religions emphasize the importance of a husband and wife conceiving naturally on their own, and assisted reproduction is sometimes viewed as going against these religious beliefs.

What are Some Arguments for Surrogacy? At the same time, just as many people will argue for reasons why surrogacy is good — not just for hopeful parents who desperately want to have a baby but also for the generous surrogates who help them to reach this goal.

Advocates for surrogacy will tell you:. Surrogates are compensated fairly for their services. Surrogacy professionals minimize risks. Through a careful screening and selection process, surrogacy professionals ensure all prospective surrogates and intended parents are truly prepared for the process ahead of them. This is done to minimize risks to everyone involved, especially the surrogate.

Surrogacy attorneys also work closely with intended parents and surrogates to ensure their rights and interests are protected, eliminating legal risks, as well. And, contrary to popular belief, the emotional risks to surrogates are minimal; because most surrogates are not related to the children they carry, the vast majority report no emotional complications with the process. Everyone has a voice in the surrogacy process. In domestic surrogacy, intended parents and surrogates enter into the process knowingly and willingly.

Screening and counseling services are offered to ensure every prospective surrogate and intended parent is motivated to do surrogacy for the right reasons, and every party plays an active role in the process. Should Surrogate Motherhood be Allowed? As a result, it was unclear who the legal parents were, and what the child's nationality was. If the child does return home with the commissioning parents, the authorities in that home country must decide whether to give effect to the agreement that took place overseas and allow them to become the legal parents in their home jurisdiction.

In most countries, the wellbeing of the child comes first. This means that authorities are often forced to accept the results of the arrangement, turning a blind eye to exploitative practices that may have taken place abroad. Intergovernmental body the Hague Conference on Private International Law is currently looking into the possibility of forming internationally agreed rules for authorities to recognise the parenthood of children born abroad through surrogacy, and set out consistent rules.

However, it may be difficult to reach international agreement, due to the widely differing attitudes towards surrogacy. Countries that ban or restrict the practice would be unlikely to sign up to something that allows commercial surrogacy, and vice versa.

More like this. This means authorities are left in a very difficult situation: the global surrogacy market has sprung up due to the inconsistency of laws around the world, but it is precisely because of these differences that they are unable to regulate the practice effectively. Surrogacy can provide the joy of a longed-for child, but at the same time it opens the door for the exploitation of the most vulnerable.

As surrogacy gains in popularity, these legal and ethical dilemmas will only become more pressing. Pandora's Box has been opened and the law has failed to respond. About this piece. This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Dr Claire Fenton-Glynn is a lecturer at the Cambridge Faculty of Law where she specialises in children's rights, family law and international human rights law.