Surrogate Motherhood and Technology

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Surrogate Motherhood and Technology

Surrogacy: The Technology

Reproductive technologies have a lot to do with the theology of the family. One aspect of reproductive technology deals with the issue of pregnancy for profit. This concept is known as surrogacy, and it is used for procreation. Ten to fifteen percent of married couples are unable to have children of their own.1 A surrogate mother is a woman who carries the child, usually for an infertile couple. Surrogacy has been around for a long time; it dates back to biblical times. The concept of surrogacy is old, yet it remains one of the most socially controversial solutions to infertility.

Regardless of this advancement in technology, surrogacy is less desirable. The cost of surrogacy is extremely high and the outcome is often unpredictable. Surrogacy is seen as a last resort due to the process being extremely complicated. The process involves many individuals including, the infertile couple, doctors, the surrogate agency personnel, the surrogate and her family. Finally, an underlying reason to avoid surrogacy is because of the cultural beliefs-the technology of surrogacy is a direct interference with nature. Surrogacy leads to many divergent perspectives and opposing viewpoints about ethical and legal issues, some positive and some negative, which will be discussed later.

Surrogacy can be practiced in three different ways, but there are two types of surrogacy. These two types are known as traditional and gestational. In traditional surrogacy, the commissioning father's sperm is injected into the surrogate mother. In other words, the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the biological father's sperm. Often times, if the spe...

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5.) Roberts, Elizabeth F.S. "'Native' Narratives of Connectedness: Surrogate Motherhood and Technology." Cyborg Babies: From Techno-Sex to Techno-Tots. 1998.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/rt21/procreative/roberts.html&e=922

6.) Storey, Grayce P. "Ethical Problems Surrounding Surrogate Motherhood." Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute 2000, Volume II.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2000/7/00.07.05.x.html

7.) Vadeboncoeur, Michelle. "Paper 1: Surrogate Motherhood." Bioethics, PY2713. 16 November 1995. http://www.kluge.net/~mrv/class/py2713-1.html

8.) Wronge, Yomi S. "P.A. Teen To Contact Dad Who Was Sperm Donor." San Jose Mercury News (CA) 31 January 2002.

9.) "Continuing Controversy." The Fertility Race: Surrogate Motherhood 1998.

http://news.mpr.org/features/199711/20_smiths_fertility/part4/section3.shtml

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