The Ethics of Surrogacy
The Ethics of Surrogacy There is controversy surrounding the concept of surrogacy in the United States. There is nothing in federal legislature the addresses the issue directly. Different States have different laws concerning surrogacy. Some forbid it and some enforce surrogacy contracts in court. Finding a surrogate mother, for some is their last chance to have a child that is biologically their own. There are people that believe that surrogacy is morally wrong for several reasons. I believe that if it is done properly then it can be a blessing for a family that would not have been able to have their own children, otherwise.
History
There is documentation of people using surrogate mothers as far back as the old testament of the bible. In Genesis chapter 16, Sarah is unable to bear children so she gives her slave, Hagar to her husband, Abraham so that she may bear his children (Got Questions, 2002-2011).
Modern Science has made being a surrogate mother possible without having physical contact with the intended father. There are two types of surrogacy that are used. There is traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate’s own eggs are used and fertilized by the intended father’s sperm. Then there is gestational surrogacy, where a donor egg is fertilized by the intended father’s sperm, then, the resulting embryo is implanted into the surrogate’s womb.
The first recorded case of surrogacy in the United States was in 1976. Noel Keane, a lawyer, arranged the first surrogacy agreement between a surrogate mother and the intended parents. This mother was not compensated financially. Afterwards, Keane went on to create the Infertility Center, which arranged hundreds of surrogacy agreements every year (Information on Surrogacy, 2008-2011).
In 1978, Louise Joy Brown was the first baby that was born through in-vitro fertilization. She was not born to a surrogate but this paved the way for gestational surrogacy (Information on Surrogacy, 2008-2011).
In
History
There is documentation of people using surrogate mothers as far back as the old testament of the bible. In Genesis chapter 16, Sarah is unable to bear children so she gives her slave, Hagar to her husband, Abraham so that she may bear his children (Got Questions, 2002-2011).
Modern Science has made being a surrogate mother possible without having physical contact with the intended father. There are two types of surrogacy that are used. There is traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate’s own eggs are used and fertilized by the intended father’s sperm. Then there is gestational surrogacy, where a donor egg is fertilized by the intended father’s sperm, then, the resulting embryo is implanted into the surrogate’s womb.
The first recorded case of surrogacy in the United States was in 1976. Noel Keane, a lawyer, arranged the first surrogacy agreement between a surrogate mother and the intended parents. This mother was not compensated financially. Afterwards, Keane went on to create the Infertility Center, which arranged hundreds of surrogacy agreements every year (Information on Surrogacy, 2008-2011).
In 1978, Louise Joy Brown was the first baby that was born through in-vitro fertilization. She was not born to a surrogate but this paved the way for gestational surrogacy (Information on Surrogacy, 2008-2011).
In
References: Drabiak, Katherine, Wegner, Carole, Fredland, Valita, and Helft, Paul R. (2007) Ethics, Law, and Commercial Surrogacy: A Call for Uniformity The Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. Retrieved February 26, 2011 from ProQuest direct database Fertility Authority (2011) Surrogacy in Massachusetts. Retrieved February 26, 2011 from http://www.fertilityauthority.com/boston/surrogacy-massachusetts Flashing, Sarah (February 1, 2008) Discount Babies, Discounting Dignity. Retrieved February 27, 2011 from http://cbhd.org/content/discount-babies-discounting-dignity Got Questions?org (2002-2011) Question: What does the Bible say about Using a surrogate mother? Retrieved February 27, 2011 from http://www.gotquestions.org/surrogate-mother.html Hagy, Chad (April 1, 2010) Rights of Surrogate Mothers 27, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/about_6170698_rights-surrogate-mothers.html Holcomb, Morgan and Byrn, Mary Patricia (November, 2010) When Your Body is Your Business. Washington Law Review. Retrieved February 26, 2011 from ProQuest direct database Information on Surrogacy.com (2008-2011) Ethics of Surrogacy. Retrieved February 26, 2011 from http://www.information-on-surrogacy.com/ethics-of-surrogacy.html Information on Surrogacy.com (2008-2011) History of Surrogacy February 27, 2011 from http://www.information-on-surrogacy.com/history-of-surrogacy.html Willoughby, Kim (Spring 2010) ART Enter the Lawyer Retrieved February 26, 2011 from ProQuest direct database.