Surrogate Motherhood and the Ethical Issues

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Advancements in biomedical technology are challenging traditional concepts and norms, sparking a hotbed of ethical and legal debates. Center in contemporary ethical discussions is the issue of surrogate motherhood. Surrogacy, one of several reproductive technologies, is throwing into question the very definitions of mothers and family.

What is Surrogate Motherhood

Surrogate motherhood is an arrangement in which a woman- the surrogate or substitute mother- agrees to bear a child for another woman who cannot conceive, with the understanding that the surrogate will relinquish the baby at birth. Surrogate motherhood is often a last resort for infertile couples who have failed to conceive by other means.

The dilemmas of surrogacy arise from the fact that there are now two women who are biologically connected to the child: the genetic mother and the birth mother. Yet who is to be considered the “real” mother? Is it the woman who gives birth to the child, who raises the child, or who is genetically related to the child? Besides the minefield of legal conflicts arising from surrogacy, the ethical issues surrounding surrogate motherhood abound.

For example, there are various reasons besides infertility that a couple might decide to use a surrogate to have a child. Viewed as “ethical,” surrogate motherhood is used as a means to avoid passing a genetic defect to a child. What is considered to be “unethical,” is when surrogacy is used as a convenience by (wealthy) women who either do not want to disrupt their professional lives with child-bearing or who want to avoid the discomforts of childbirth even though they do not suffer from infertility. Ethical analysts denote a sharp distinction between these divergent motivations and debate at length whether or not surrogate motherhood is moral or crosses ethical lines.

Arguments by those who claim surrogate motherhood is ethical include that it is a solution to infertility after repeated failure to conceive by other means. They advance the position that in-vitro fertilization uses both the egg and sperm of the couple, tying them biologically to the child. It is unjust that infertile couples should be denied parenthood. Intrauterine insemination allows the child to carry at least the father’s biological genes. Difficulties inherent in the adoption process are further arguments for the proponents of surrogacy. Also, the presence of a disorder that would place the mother’s life in jeopardy if she became pregnant is a strong argument in favor of the process. It is also a way to avoid transmitting genetic defects. Proponents cite studies of surrogates that confirm that most surrogates view their experience as positive, meaningful and empowering. (This is contrary to popular expectations that the surrogate mothers would suffer trauma as a result of having to relinquish the baby.)

Arguments claiming surrogate motherhood is unethical include the physical and psychological risks to the surrogate mother and the purported long and short-term physical and psychological hazards to the child. Another is the risk that the process might be abused. Opponents claim a deluge of “compensated surrogacy” arrangements whereby a surrogate is paid to carry a child to maturity. Opponents denounce these arrangements as the financial exploitation of women’s bodies. Surrogacy is attacked as an advantage of the rich over the poor, a means of turning surrogate motherhood into a commercial industry and a convenience for the well-off to avoid childbirth. It is considered by some to be a devaluation of the symbolic value of maternity.

There are many other additional ethical dilemmas concerning surrogate motherhood that have been raised. If a couple divorces before the baby is born, who gets custody? What happens if one or both of the commissioning parents die before the baby is born? What obligations does the surrogate mother have to continue with the pregnancy? Does she have the right to abort? What would happen if the infant is born with a defect and nobody wants it? Should the child be introduced to the surrogate mother? Given that the level of emotional distress associated with giving up a baby cannot be predicted, can a surrogate ever give truly informed consent?

Clearly, there are many ethical issues surrounding surrogate motherhood. These will no doubt occupy ethicists for a long time to come.

Resources about The Ethics of Surrogate Motherhood

Nih.gov Ethics, law, and commercial surrogacy: a call for uniformity.

Womb for rent: ethical aspects of surrogate motherhood.

Resource by T.Price

I am a mom of 2 boys who loves to spend time with them doing fun things outdoors. In my spare time I have my own things I enjoy doing such as gardening, reading old books, and being a closet history buff.

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