Do you
imagine yourself carrying someone else’s baby? It may sound like a good option
for some people, but not for others. Surrogacy is the process in which a woman
carries and delivers someone else’s baby, and it becomes commercial when the
surrogate mother receives money not only to pay the normal costs of pregnancy,
but also extra money for the “service.”
The
“service” becomes a controversial issue when considering two aspects: the
legality and illegality of the procedure is some countries, and the
profitability of it. Commercial surrogacy is a legal practice in India, but not
in some countries like France, Italy, and Germany, where this procedure is
penalized by the law; consequently, Europeans and people from other countries
perform international surrogacy, a process by which a woman living in foreign
country keeps their baby. Also, the surrogate may receive extra money for being
the “carrier” of the child by stating conditions and charges.
Nevertheless,
resorting to surrogacy is a great option for same-sex couples and infertile
women who can afford paying high prices. In this regard, science has allowed
these couples to have children thanks to the creation of medical techniques
such as in vitro fertilization and donor insemination. But, it can’t be avoided
the fact that surrogates may take advantage of the situation and ask for more
money, so more regulations about the issue need to be considered.
All in all,
commercial surrogacy is a good option to have children alternatively, but it
needs more regulations so that people do not take advantage of the “service.”
Do you think it is a good option? Would you prefer not resorting to it? What
would you suggest to non-fertile couples?
