A surrogate mother means a woman who agrees to have a child for a couple who are childless because of infertility or not able of having a child due to a number of physical dilemmas. The procedure engages artificial insemination method, whereby the husband’s sperm is transferred and the surrogate mother accepts it. That is why the surrogate mother is still considered as the real mother of the child.

However, in case of gestational surrogacy, the wife is fertile but not competent of giving birth due to some medical problems, it is called in-vitro fertilization technology. The wife’s eggs and her husband’s sperm are used and the resulting embryo is transferred into the uterus of the surrogate mother.

The concept of surrogate motherhood is becoming very accepted way of infertile couples to have a child of their own. Although it is an act of love, it also involves financial aid. Surrogate mothers are obviously paid for bearing a child inside their wombs. A couple who wants to hire a service of a surrogate mother must also consider the kind of personality of the surrogate mother. We all know that the genes have larger effect on the baby’s personality someday.

Another very important ground for the rise in surrogacy is the progression in medical technology. It is more secure and successful unlike other medical technologies available. In the past decade, the achievement rate was only 40% but now with the development of IVF technology, the achievement rate has reached up to 70 to 90 percent. However there are some authorized and moral issues concerned with surrogacy that needs to be discussed:

1. Legal procedure: The process for becoming a surrogate mother is not easy. There have to be convinced medical tests such as Hysteroscopy/HCG, this kind of test is done to make sure if fallopian tubes are clear or not, and physical conditions of the uterus is also take in consideration. Before the fertilization process, the surrogate mother should know her legal rights and before signing a contract, a service and a legal adviser or lawyer is necessary to make sure that the right of the surrogate mother will not be neglected by the couple involved.

2. Ethical issues: Surrogacy perception brings quite a lot of controversies, although things are changing with time. Some of them are:

• What if the surrogate mother decides to take the baby without the concern of the couple involve?

• Is it incorrect for a surrogate mother to abandon the child?

• Is surrogacy considered as human trafficking?

• What percentage of the society accepts the concept of surrogating?

Sometimes, guilt arise to the surrogate mother and the emotion enclosed in it arise when you least expect it. Especially, if there are papers and money issue involves in the process of surrogacy. In spite of the authorized and moral issues concerning surrogacy, still it is a new hope for childless women and family around the world which they can have through surrogate mothers.

Jonathan Pitts

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