The Real Issues with Surrogacy 1.
The Real Issues with Surrogacy
“Sometimes when making something so precious, beautiful and unique, it takes an extra helping heart” (Author Unknown). To me, surrogate motherhood is giving the gift of a child to an individual who cannot carry a child themselves. I chose this topic because it interests me to see what kind of problems are linked with the journey of surrogacy. I have seen plenty of fictional movies about surrogate mothers, and I wanted to learn if any of these issues happened in real life situations. Before I began my research I thought about the ethical, legal, and social problems that could arise during the process of surrogacy. Legally, I thought you could be a surrogate
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Countless people form their own judgment of why individuals choose to go through the action of surrogacy. Their opinions range, but the most common reason people believe others use surrogacy is just for the large payment they receive for doing it (Lopez, 1970). I do believe there are people out there who become surrogate mothers because of the money, but I do not believe people are abusing the money. I think women use the money to support their own family, and for things that will improve their life. If they were to use the money for things such as drugs, that would have been brought to the parent’s attention when choosing the right surrogate and going through all the background, and health checks before proceeding with the fertilization. Another social argument is some people think that instead of going through the procedure of surrogacy, they should choose to adopt a child instead (Lopez, 1970). I think the choice is completely up to the person wanting the child. Some people want to go through the excitement of bringing a child into the world, and the child being blood-related to one …show more content…
It can be unquestionably devastating to find out you cannot have a child on your own, that is why many people look into and go through with having a surrogate mother. There are numerous issues to take into consideration when deciding if surrogacy is right the right choice. Major problems include ethical, legal, and social issues with the process of surrogacy. When the surrogate mother carries the baby, her body and mind goes through changes, there are times when the surrogate mother feels like the baby is hers, especially when going through the traditional surrogate method because it is her own egg that is being used. The surrogate mother has trouble detaching herself from the baby during and after the pregnancy. There is also dispute that the process is considered baby-selling, because of the payment the surrogate receives. The second problem that appears is legal issues, one being, having to adopt the baby after he or she is born to fully gain custody of the child. Surrogacy is also illegal in some states and countries, making it extremely difficult for people wanting to have a child who physically cannot. Lastly, social issues emerge when surrogacy topic is brought up. Some people believe adoption is the best option if you cannot have a child on your own. Others believe people that choose to be surrogate mothers are just doing it for the payment at the end of the process. After researching information about
Surrogate pregnancy was talked about and questioned in the early 1970’s but was not put into practice until 1976. The first case documented actually comes from the bible. It was the story of Abraham and Sarah. Sarah talks about her experience with infertility. She then turns to Hagar, her handmaiden, and asks her if she would carry their child for them since she was unable to. Hagar was their maid so in a way it was a command, not exactly a favor or question.
“Time to Ban Surrogate Motherhood,” written by Lynda Hurst and “Surrogate Motherhood: Why it Should Be Permitted,” written by Allan C. Hutchinson, are persuasive texts where the authors’ attempts to influence the audience to agree with their side of the argument on surrogate motherhood. According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, surrogate motherhood is defined as, “a woman who bears a child for another person, often for pay, either through artificial insemination or by carrying until birth another woman's surgically implanted fertilized egg.” Since the persuasive works are published in different newspapers, one being The Toronto Star and the other being The Globe and Mail, the works are written for different target audiences. Comparing the articles of Lynda Hurst and Allan C. Hutchinson, numerous differences between the elements of tone and the types of structure define the target audience.
A surrogacy is the carrying of a pregnancy for intended parents. There are two kinds of surrogacy: “Gestational”, in which the egg and sperm belong to the intended parents and is carried by the surrogate, and “traditional”, where the surrogate is inseminated with the intended father’s sperm. Regardless of the method, I believe that surrogacy cannot be morally justified. Surrogacy literally means “substitute”, or “replacement”. A surrogate is a replacement for a mother for that 9-month period of pregnancy, and therefore is reducing the role of the surrogate mother to an oversimplified and dehumanizing labor. The pregnancy process for the gestational mother can be very physically and mentally demanding, and is unique because after birthing the
I would have said that it was a generous and thoughtful act of kindness for a surrogate to be willing to help a couple bring a child into this world. I would have never thought deeply about some of the moral and ethical aspects of surrogacy, until now. I have been married for almost four years, and I believe in the unity of marriage and the idea of becoming one. After reading Cahill’s argument on surrogacy, and reflected on my own moral values, I immediately took a stance to agree with her. I believe that when it comes to a child, the best interest of the child should be a top priority. I am not a mother, but I am very passionate about children, and find their lives to be so precious. Parents should always have the child’s best interest in mind when making choices regarding their child’s life. A surrogate may be doing it as an act of kindness, and that may be her intention. However, I agree that surrogacy brings a dualistic element to the relationship. I know that as a married woman I would never hire a surrogate to bear my child, nor be a surrogate to carry someone else’s child. I want children, but I would never want to be treated as the means to an end, and I would not want my child to be considered a commodity. I strongly agree with Cahill in that a binding moral obligation does come with certain choices, even if we did not choose them in the first
The advancement and continued developments of third-party assisted reproductive medical practices has allowed many prospective parents, regardless of their marital status, age, or sexual orientation, to have a new opportunity for genetically or biologically connected children. With these developments come a number of rather complex ethical issues and ongoing discussions regarding assisted reproduction within our society today. These issues include the use of reproductive drugs, gestational services such as surrogacy as well as the rights of those seeking these drugs and services and the responsibilities of the professionals who offer and practice these services.
No other element of the Women’s Rights Movement has generated as much controversy as the debate over reproductive rights. As the movement gained momentum so did the demand for birth control, sex education, family planning and the repeal of all abortion laws. On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision which declared abortion "fundamental right.” The ruling recognized the right of the individual “to be free from unwanted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the right of a woman to decide whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” (US Supreme Court, 1973) This federal-level ruling took effect, legalizing abortion for all women nationwide.
Many women who carry unexpected or unwanted children are left to decide between keeping the child, adoption, abortion and maybe foster care. Most of the time the decision is just between adoption and abortion. In that case, the mother is losing the child either way. Most of the time choosing adoption or foster care would be a better choice than abortion because the pregnancy would end by giving life instead of death. Adoption and foster care are an opportunity for people who wish to be parents, but are not able to have a child of their own to finally become parents or people who have children of their own, but want to add-on to their family.
In our society, there are many ethical dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. There are many strong arguments both for and against the right to have an abortion which are so complicated that it becomes impossible to resolve. The complexity of this issue lies in the different aspects of the argument. The essence of a person, rights, and who is entitled to these rights, are a few of the many aspects which are very difficult to define. There are also issues of what circumstances would justify abortion. Because the issue of abortion is virtually impossible to solve, all one can hope to do is understand the different aspects of the argument so that if he or she is faced with that issue in their own lives, they would be able to make educated and thoughtful decisions in dealing with it.
Surrogacy is becoming extremely popular as a way for people to build their families and women to have a source of income. Many people have various reasons for their opposition to it whether it be by comparing it to prostitution or disagreeing with how military wives take advantage of the Tricare insurance. Lorraine Ali states in her article “The Curious Lives of Surrogates” that one of the more popular reasons to oppose surrogacy is that it contradicts, “what we’ve always thought of as an unbreakable bond between mother and child.” However, a woman’s inability to conceive her own children does not determine the absence of a mother to child bond.
Gestational surrogacy, especially when it involves commercial surrogates, challenges the status quo in the ethical theory of reproduction, because with this technology the process of producing a child can no longer remain a private matter. Now a public contract exists between two parties, the couple and the surrogate ...
Arguments against commercial surrogacy typically revolve around the idea that surrogacy is a form of child-selling. Critics believe that commercial surrogacy violates both women’s and children’s rights. In addition, by making surrogacy contracts legally enforceable, courts will follow the contract rather than choose what is best for the child. However, in her article “Surrogate Mothering: Exploring Empowerment” Laura Pudry is not convinced by these arguments.
After reading the article written by Sandel, what surprises me is the service of surrogate mother in India, which sounds uncommon. However, as Hegel says, “what exists is reasonable”, the service must have some great advantages that attract “buyer” and “seller”. Indeed, couples finding a surrogate mother for their future babies spare many times, energy, or even money for the family. They can have more time to work, and additionally, the baby’s mother do not have to suffer from the pain when give birth. Money can buy convenience and efficiency. Who don’t want this benefit if he or she is able to afford?
Commercial surrogacy commodifies children because by paying the surrogate mother to give up her child, they treat the child as an object of exchange or commodity that can be bought and sold. As any business transaction, the parents give money for the exchange of an object, the child. The parents get their desired child and the mother gets the money, but what about what thee child think about this event? The parents and surrogate mother’s action were done with self-interest. It could be argued that they wanted the best for the child. However, the first priority in the intentional procreation of the child was not the welfare of the child but rather to give it up to the parents in exchange of money. Additionally, women’s labor is commodified because the surrogate mother treats her parental rights as it was a property right not as a trust. In other words, the decisions taken concerning the child are not done primarily for the benefit of the child. The act of the mother relenting her parental rights is done for a monetary price. She disposes of her parental rights, which are to be managed for the welfare of the owner, as if they were property right, which are to be handled for personal
Catholicism relies on numerous scriptural passages to guide adherents on the ethical issue of commercial surrogacy. While there are no explicit scripture references that relate to the prohibition of surrogacy, there are indications of how the issue violates human dignity, as “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3). This reflects the perspective that children are gifts from God, not commodities to be commissioned at will and therefore must be treated with the same level of respect and love for God. Human life is sacred and comes intentionally from God who “formed you in the womb” (Jeremiah 1:5); when a baby comes into existence, it is sacred by the means of the mark of God. Sexual intercourse in
Detractor will state that surrogacy should be illegal because it is immoral, cost prohibitive for most, and even liken it to the sale of a child. Each of these objections to surrogacy are without merit once analyzed closely. There is nothing immoral about surrogacy. Surrogacy is even mentioned in the Bible. Abraham’s wife Sarah is infertile, and offers her slave to Abraham in order to give him a son. Moreover, morality should not be legislated. Bad things have happened throughout history when governments try to legislate morality. The Salem Witch Trials are a prime example of the travesties that can occur when one’s morals are pushed on another. The Crusades are another example of what happens when one’s beliefs are forced upon another. America is a great county that allows people to believe whatever they want to believe. If one does not believe in surrogacy, then he/she does not have to, but he/she should not prohibit other from the pursuit of happiness. Some detractors point out the fact that surrogacy is expensive and therefore should be illegal because it is not attainable for everyone. IVF costs about $12,000 per round in order to cover the medication, surgery, creating and transfer of the embryo, and the pregnancy test afterward(Kuczynski, 2008). This is extremely expensive for most families in America, but it is still a viable option for infertile couples. The entire argument that surrogacy should be illegal because it costs too much is like expecting Ferrari to close its doors because their cars are too expensive. Men and women are created equal, but not all men and women will live equal lives. There will always be the haves and the have nots. There is another group of people that like surrogacy to the sale of children. This argument does not hold water either. Surrogate mothers allow their bodies to be used to perform a function that is not available to an