Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a way for same sex couples or couples dealing with infertility to have a child of their own. Surrogacy involves the couple that desires a child along with a willing woman who is able to become pregnant and carry a child to term for them. This is an alternative to adoption and can use the DNA of one or both individuals as well as the surrogate mother.

One aspect to plan out and be aware of before surrogacy can be considered is the legal and financial aspect of having a surrogate. There are often high costs for the artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization process itself. Another area of cost is for the surrogate mother herself. Health care and general expenses such as supplements, meals, and childcare should be covered. The surrogate and the couple involved are generally required to form a surrogacy contract or get legal advice and consultation before the process.[1]

Throughout history and within societies women are often praised for children and expected to reproduce. Whether it was to produce a male heir for a king or just to become a stay at home mom who looks after the household and the children there exists a societal pressure on women to have children. This can be reflected in literary works as well such as Margaret Atwood’s Handmaidens Tale. This pressure can make life especially challenging for women who are infertile or who are with an infertile partner as blame may still be places on her. For these reasons, surrogacy has become a popular alternative or option for couples with the financial capabilities.

Traditional surrogacy

Traditionally, surrogacy has involved the sperm from the male being implanted into the uterus of the surrogate woman who uses her own egg and womb to carry the child. This artificial insemination allows for the genetic make up of the father to be present in the child should the couple be same sex or if the woman is infertile. The surrogate is the biological mother because it is her egg that is used in conjunction with the fathers donated sperm.[2]

Gestational surrogacy

This form of surrogacy is newer and a more complex process than traditional surrogacy. Through the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) the eggs of a woman can be taken and fertilized by the sperm of a male before being implanted in a gestational surrogate. This form or surrogacy does not involve the genetics of the surrogate. The egg and sperm donner are the sole biological parents, although neither carry the child or give birth.[3] This form of surrogacy is common among infertile individuals or others who have doubts about carrying a child themselves.

In vitro fertilization

In vitro fertilization is a process that is used for gestational surrogacy. This meaning that if a couple cannot conceive themselves or chooses not to they can still have a child with 100% their own genetic make-up.

This process begins by harvesting the mature eggs from the woman who will become the biological mother. These eggs are then fertilized in a lab with the sperm of the male partner or a sperm donor. The fertilized eggs or embryos then get implanted into the uterus of the surrogate woman otherwise known as the gestational surrogate. The process for one round of IVF lasts about three weeks. Overall, IVF is the best method for alternative reproduction in terms of its effectiveness.[4]

Issues within surrogacy

Reproduction and surrogacy as a business model is relatively new. Because of this there lacks proper regulation or awareness in many areas. One primary area of concern is with the racialization and disparities of surrogates of color or in other countries. For example, in the United States a surrogate mother can be expected to be paid around $20,000 on average, whereas an Indian surrogate of an American child can expect on average a mere $6,000 in comparison.[5]

There can also be issues during the surrogacy process such as the surrogate mother becoming attached or wanting to get custody of the child. There have been numerous legal battles in cases such as this. This is one of the reasons a surrogacy contract is drawn up at the initiation of the process.[6] The bond and hormones that a woman experiences during childbirth can make it difficult to give to child away to other people after the birth.

Designer babies

The idea of designer babies comes from the ability to screen embryos during IVF. Through this process a procedure called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis occurs. It involve taking cells from the young embryos and viewing their genomes before deciding which embryos to implant.[7] There are many worries about the future with this technology. If parents are able to choose embryos that are more likely to excel in sports, or have higher intelligence, or immunity from certain diseases it is similar to playing God. A major potential issue with this would be the disparities of which parents are able to access this technology. It is likely such methods would only be available to wealthy and upper class individuals. If only the offspring from wealthy families are able to be guaranteed perfect genes, high intelligence, and physical capabilities that is not fair for marginalized or lower socio-economic status individuals. These are some of the main questions and debates surrounding the ethics of future reproductive technology.

Sources used:

Kozicka, Patricia. “Surrogacy in Canada: What You Need to Know.” Global News. Global News, August 14, 2016. https://globalnews.ca/news/2879259/surrogacy-in-canada-what-you-need-to-know/

Harrison, Laura. “Brown Bodies, White Babies.” Project Muse, 2016. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9781479808175.001.0001.

Johnson, Traci C. “Using a Surrogate Mother: What You Need to Know.” WebMD. WebMD, September 6, 2019. https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/using-surrogate-mother#1.

“In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, June 22, 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716.

“In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).” Mount Sinai Fertility. Accessed November 27, 2019. http://mountsinaifertility.com/our-services/in-vitro-fertilization-ivf/.

Ball, P. Super-smart designer babies could be on offer soon. But is that ethical? | Philip Ball. November 19, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/19/designer-babies-ethical-genetic-selection-intelligence.

Twine, France Winddance. “Outsourcing the Womb.” Routledge, June 2012. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203834206