What is surrogacy? Surrogacy is where a ‘woman who bears a child on behalf of a couple unable to have a child, either by artificial insemination from the man or implantation of an embryo’ (Collins English Dictionary, 2008). This is usually because the wife is infertile or otherwise unable to undergo pregnancy.
As mentioned by Rogers, (2006) surrogacy can be also said as a woman which is also similarly known as the surrogate mother or the surrogate will be carrying and delivering a baby whom by undergoing a controversial process which is mostly illegal in all the states after an official arrangement between the surrogate and the intended couple or individual. The history of commercial surrogacy started in the US in the late 70's in the twentieth century when a lawyer named Noel Keane started to create the first agency of surrogacy.He defied the legislative power in Michigan and after that he decided to move to open additional agencies where he carried out surrogacy arrangements laws (SYL, 2006) There are two types of surrogacy which is traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy. According to COTS (2007), for traditional surrogacy, the surrogate uses her own egg fertilized with the intended father's sperm whereas for the gestational surrogacy, the surrogate carries the intended parent's genetic child conceived through in-vitro-fertilization, for which specialist doctors are needed and for this treatment the infertile woman must still have working ovaries.Despite the advantages of surrogacy, for many years there are still numerous people tend to argue that surrogacy brings many disadvantages.
Even though many people believe that surrogacy should be legalized especially for couples who cannot have children, I think it should not be encouraged due to a number of negative repercussions. The first argument put forward by the opponents is that, surrogacy may be the best option since it provides an intended couple to parent a child genetically related to them that otherwise could not have a child on their own.On the other hand, surrogacy is not the only solution for a couple with infertility but there are many other solutions also for them to overcome this problem. One of the ways beside surrogacy is In Vitro Fertilization which also known as IVF. Why IVF? This is because, IVF has the obvious benefit of boosting the chances for couple with infertility of getting pregnant, sometimes from a near zero probability of pregnancy (eHow, 1999a).
Moreover, in a recent study which states that ‘nearly 1,000 European children who were conceived through in vitro fertilization and monitored from birth until age 5 were shown to be as healthy as children who were conceived naturally’ (Einstein Industries, 2008). Thus, there will be no problem for couples with infertility to have IVF as an alternative. Besides that, adoption can also be another alternative way apart from surrogacy. Many people who are unable to have a child on their own, usually, they desire to adopt a child.
There are thousands of children who have withstood neglect or abuse waiting to be adopted. As what is stated by Brotherton (2009), the couples with infertility can guarantee the child will benefit by having security and safety that they may not have known before by opening their heart and home through adopting. This is because, the adoptive parents need not think about the expenses for the child’s need, because there are financial benefits to help them secure in their life. She also mentioned that they will be eligible for state and federal tax benefits as well.Thus, surrogacy is not the only way which provides the children for an intended parent couple, but there are many other alternatives like IVF and adoption where can help men and women to capture the dream of parenthood.
Another advantage that can be clearly seen as stated by Rodriguez (1999), is surrogacy gives the couple an opportunity to have a healthier child. He also mentions that the health benefits can also be useful to an intended mother who has any medical issues such as diabetes or kidney disease, in which a full-term pregnancy could prove life-threatening for her and the unborn child.However, that statement should be firmly denied because the foetus can be nourished and it is obviously influenced by the womb and the environment that surrounds him (Prof. Jamaal, 2010). Consequently this can of course lead to a defection to the foetus.
Furthermore, the surrogate mothers can also become sick as a result of pregnancy. For instance according to Prof. Jamal, (2010) the surrogate mothers can suffer from diseases like a sudden rise in the level of blood sugar or a rise in blood pressure which are the common one, where some of hese diseases may take the life of the pregnant woman and which require medical intervention to sacrifice the foetus in order to save the life of the pregnant woman. This apparently can lead to heartache or intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one which is either the foetus or the pregnant woman. Thus it is important for the original parents to be aware that the surrogate mother has to complete autonomy over her body and her wellbeing during the course of the pregnancy.This is because, as said by Cook (n.
d) parents not only want a healthy newborn infant but want an infant that is carried by a woman with an remarkably "clean" health history, who has had prenatal care from day one with no substance abuse herself or in her family and of course, with no mental health challenges. Thirdly, opponents also assert that surrogacy gives the intended parents a more successful route to become pregnant due to the success rate associated with the fertilization process (eHow, 1999b).However, it is proven that surrogacy is not at all times a successful route as there are some surrogate mothers who would not keep their promise and therefore will keep the baby to themselves. Ashley (2010), as well asserts that surrogate mother may sometimes have a tendency to refuse to give the child to the natural parents owing to the development of a strong attachment to the baby. This is mainly because as all and sundry knows it is a hard task for a woman to go through the pregnancy and then have the heart broken when the child is taken away from her.Moreover the surrogate tends to change her mind because the baby is genetically a product of her and it is naturally bonds to the child during the pregnancy.
Due to that, she may think that she has the complete rights and advantages to have the baby. Additionally, owing to surrogacy, which also known as womb-renting, confusion of family tree and uncertainty of knowing who the father or mother is may arise. ‘This confusion of lineage will lead to disputes between the original wife and the woman whose womb is rented, and it will not be known to whom the child belongs’ (Prof. Jamaal, 2010).Thus obviously, a feeling of intense unhappiness may conquer the whole family as a result of confusions and therefore surrogacy can never always be a successful route. Opponents also claim that surrogacy is cheaper, because it keeps out expensive medical therapy and charges for donor’s sperm (Guide to Surrogacy World, 2009).
This statement can be completely denied because according to Perkins (2008) surrogacy is the most expensive infertility treatment of them all where for instance, intended parents have to spend on many things that occur in a pregnancy like clinic fees, medications, attorney fees, agency fees, maternity care.In addition, couples will be distressed thinking about the cost of surrogacy and on how to settle all those payments. This is because it is a costly solution to infertility throughout the pregnancy and also not all couple can come up with the money for it. Not only that but in many cases, in exchange of giving care to the child, surrogate mother will demand the amount of money she gets many times. For instance, ‘In Britain an original mother gave twenty thousand pounds to a surrogate mother in return for renting her womb for nine months’ (Prof.
Jamaal, 2010). As we all know, women with more education, better looks, and the right background will demand more. Into the bargain, it is widely known that surrogacy is usually affordable by the wealthy one. As Howley (2009) stated, surrogacy is only available to rich ladies with billionaire husbands and baby nurses because surrogacy is so astronomically expensive. Thus, the statement of surrogacy is cheaper should be definitely be denied.
Additionally, surrogacy can also bring up the issue on religion where certain religion goes against surrogacy strongly.This is mainly because, from the religious perspective, some religions do not allow reproduction other than natural reproduction because a child is seen as a "gift" from God rather than a fulfillment of a couple's psychological needs. Furthermore, in all civilized countries selling babies is prohibited because it is immortal to pay money for having a baby and also the moral act of a woman, who is ready to “sell” her baby even if the baby is not hers genetically.Hence, it can be considered unethical and dishonorable in the society (Essay911, 2001). Besides that, religion like Islam strongly forbids surrogacy in their religion owing to certain reasons.
According to Prof. Jamaal (2010), for them, a womb of a woman is only entirely for the spouse who is married to that woman according to a valid marriage contract where no one else has the rights to use it as in surrogacy. They also mentions that it is very wrong for the woman to rent her own womb to a stranger because it is as though ermitting her own private parts an her womb to a man for the reason that she allows to put a strangers semen in her womb. The issue of whether a baby is being purchased can be also a debate because in surrogacy a woman is allowed to receive monetary compensation for carrying another person's baby and allows childless couples to experience parenthood (Slutsky, 1999).
Thus, surrogacy can also bring up some controversial issues because it provokes strong disagreement or disapproval by some religion. To put it briefly there are many disadvantages of surrogacy.Thus, surrogacy should not be encouraged due to the consequences. This is mainly because surrogacy is highly controversial and can be legally complex.
Besides all those negative affects on surrogacy, there are many more out there where we can talk about. Dreadful conditions of women in the society can be also one of the effects. This is because surrogacy is widely rejected by many of the societies in this word. Since only women are involved in surrogate motherhood, the status of women will be degraded in the society.Surrogacy is seen by the society as an immoral conduct that involves selling the human body. Women transform their reproduction abilities into commercial values in the market.
They are considered unethical and dishonorable in the society. Many surrogate mothers are also discriminated against and face many problems in the society owing to surrogacy. Besides that, it is difficult to find a surrogate mother that would carry a child simply out of love or sympathy nowadays.This is because, most of the women, who are not from upper class, use surrogacy or become a surrogate mother just to earn money.
Not only that, but once the child is born, the nurturing parents will have to face some problems like how to tell this child about how he or she was born. They will find it very hard to explain. Even for parents of the normal method of conceiving, bearing, and nurturing a child, the issue of parental sex and the birth of a child are difficult and embarrass to say.Maybe the most difficult to explain to a child is the fact that his nurturing parents paid for the ability to raise him or her. Surrogacy will also definitely cause problems to a marriage.
Introducing a third party into the couple's reproductive process may ultimately u weaken the couple's relationship altogether. Even though many people believe that surrogacy should be legalized especially for couples who cannot have children, I think it should not be encouraged due to a number of negative repercussions and as its disadvantages outweigh advantages.
