Surrogate Mothers

Surrogacy is a method of reproduction whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant and deliver a child for a contracted party. The woman may either be the genetic mother as in traditional surrogacy or she may be a gestational carrier and carry the pregnancy to delivery, of an implanted embryo.

While traditional surrogacy finds its place in ancient texts, forms of altruistic and commercial surrogacy are recent phenomena. In olden days, if a woman was infertile she would have to face a divorce and to avoid this, she resorted to traditional surrogacy. Surrogacy is prevalent in many countries today but there are many countries in which it is still considered illegal. Commercial surrogacy was made legal in India in 2002. In fact, it is emerging as a leader for surrogacy related fertility tourism. The Law commission has passed a report for the need of legislation to regulate this process. A few salient features are the life insurance cover for the surrogate mother and the contract of financial support for the child in case of the demise of one or both of the commissioning parents or their divorce.

Laws such as these are very important in order to protect the woman from exploitation through surrogacy and also, the child as both the commissioning parents are seldom biological. The advent of science has brought with it an opportunity, for us, to make our lives complete despite our limitations but we must not misuse it or it will cost us dearly.