Lately there is a lot of talk about surrogacy or surrogacy, since many celebrities have resorted to this technique to be parents. In some countries it is legal while in others it is illegal, as in our country. There is a great ethical debate open where we will not enter here. We just want to tell you in detail what the surrogate maternity and the different types there are.
What is surrogacy?
It consists of a woman carrying the pregnancy, but the child she will give birth is not hers rather, they belong to other parents both genetically and legally. It is an option that exists in some countries for couples who cannot be parents in another way, due to different physical disabilities or for homosexual couples.
There are different types of surrogacy.
- Altruistic. It can be done altruistically, where there is no economic agreement with the carrier mother (only the part of the expenses such as medical and legal that it may cause). There is no profit motive.
- Lucrative. When there is a commercial agreement with the pregnant mother. It is the most frequent, an economic agreement is reached with the woman who will carry the baby. These women often work with specialized agencies.
One of the countries where this practice is legal is in the United States, where it usually costs between $ 90.000 and $ 140.000. Due to the high cost of the United States, many couples go to other countries such as Russia, Ukraine or India where it can cost between $ 22.000 and $ 35.000.
Different techniques
It can be carried out by 2 techniques:
- Traditional. The pregnant mother brings her eggBut the sperm comes from the parent requesting the surrogacy or from a donor. The technique of artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization is usually used. There are fewer and fewer cases like this, firstly because the legislation of many countries prevents the expectant mother and the egg donor from being the same person. And second to reduce the link between the pregnant mother and the baby.
- Gestational. It is when both the egg and the sperm are carried by the couple requesting surrogacy or if necessary by donors. In these cases the pregnant woman has no genetic relationship with the baby. In these cases, it is done by in vitro fertilization, where the fertilized egg is created outside the woman's body, in a laboratory. It is the most used.
Legal aspects of surrogacy
- Legalization or not of surrogacy. It is the set of laws that allow or not carry out this type of contract. As we have seen before, some countries have it legalized although in most it is not. Wherever it is, each one has its own legal requirements to be able to carry it out. In Europe is prohibido in many countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland. This technique is not allowed in Spain. On the other hand, it is allowed with nuances in Portugal, Greece, United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands and Belgium it can only be done altruistically, and each country has its own specific requirements to make it possible.
- Registration of the baby's civil registry. The countries that have legalized this practice also include the registration of the civil registry of the baby as the child of the parents who initiated the procedures. Other countries may not allow it, so legal processes would have to be initiated to recognize paternity. Y in some countries that is allowed they could reject it if the couple comes from a country where it is illegal.
Ethical issues
Some people think that it is the opportunity for many couples that nature does not allow them to be parents, achieve their dream and others that it leads to the exploitation of women especially in third world countries as if they were baby farms. It is the most complex reproduction technique in legal and moral termsEven political parties use it in their own campaigns. Here the controversy is served.