Essay On Surrogacy

Each year the number of surrogacy arrangements grow in the United States. Surrogacy uses reproductive medical technology to obtain sperm and/or eggs from an infertile couple, which will then be gestated by a willing woman, known as the surrogate mother. Complex ethical and legal concerns are associated with the use of surrogacy due to the unnatural involvedness of the process. Many disputes between the intended parents and surrogate mother will end up in the court of law, typically involving custody of the child, but there is little guidance in deciding how to resolve these issues. With little regulation currently available regarding surrogacy in the United States, there needs to be policy set in order to help avoid these ethical and legal complications. Data collection on surrogacy arrangements can greatly help to form the policy that needs to be enforced. The policy should ultimately aim to protect all parties involved in a surrogacy arrangement.

Surrogacy Policy in the United States

With advances in science and technology, surrogacy has become a viable option for couples that are unable to conceive and desire a genetic link to their child. There are two types of surrogacy options for couples to consider – traditional and gestational surrogacy. With the technological opportunity of either traditional or gestational surrogacy, many ethical and legal problems rise to the surface, including harm to the surrogate and baby, the right to procreate, and the enforceability of contracts. As a result of the controversy, it is not surprising that no single resolution has been recognized amongst the states. Surrogacy should be the choice of those involved, however, it should be highly regulated to minimize the potential ethical...

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...o not completely disregard the surrogate mother’s rights to the child in the case that the intended parents do not abide to their end of the contract.

These guidelines are all aimed to limit legal disputes and protect all of the parties involved. By having a system that will put forth a policy to enforce these guidelines, there will be fewer legal disputes due to legal clarity. Each individual has the right to decide whether they would like to conceive, as well as the right to privacy, which makes surrogacy a viable option for couples, as seen with the growth of its use year after year. Surrogacy allows couples to have a child with a genetic link to at least one of the parents, and with a willing surrogate mother, the outcome can be seen as miraculous. As long as the parties involved are protected by a policy, surrogacy is an astounding use of medical technology.