To begin with, let’s understand what surrogacy is. The term surrogacy comes from its original term “surrogate”, which means a substitute or replacement in simple words. Surrogacy in pregnancy refers to when a woman is carrying a child for a mother who cannot conceive or have the child. As a result, the parents choose to go for surrogacy. Nowadays, surrogacy is one of the most advanced and successful alternative options for couples struggling with childbirth. There are two forms of surrogacy: gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy refers to when the couple provides their eggs and sperm or get it from a donor for fertilisation. And Traditional surrogacy is when the woman carrying the child provides her egg for fertilisation. Many women and men face infertility issues, sometimes other health issues, which makes childbirth difficult for them. But the desire to have kids, so they go for alternative options. We live in an era where technology has advanced, and the availability of options has also increased. Almost every unlikely technologies are developing with time. But it still does not diminish the controversies related to it. Likewise, surrogacy is also a controversial topic rather than a more debatable topic. It is controversial because of its nature and the process involved. The couples desiring to have a child through surrogacy may well understand the facts but may not accept the people around them. Those who believe in the traditional pregnancy and are unable to give birth get marginalised for the rest of their lifetime; blamed as well.
In many cases, even though the couple opts for surrogacy, their families go against it, which makes it a debatable topic. The legalities of the entire procedure also differ country or state wise. Surrogacy has its pros and cons, and they may vary from case to case.
Pros:
- It allows a couple struggling with childbirth to have their child.
- It is legally protected.
- The surrogate mother receives financial support and any other support throughout the pregnancy.
- It allows same-gender couples to have kids.
Cons:
- It can be costly.
- It may not be very successful depending on individual cases
- The overall procedure, including medical and legal, is complicated and time-consuming.
- Families, Societies may not accept it.
Surrogacy lies within many misconceptions, which makes its acceptance difficult. Misconceptions-
- Surrogacy is usually opted by celebrities or wealthy families. This misconception exists due to its costs, and it is ultimately a personal choice of the couples. For financially struggling couples, there are different forms of loans available to provide them with financial support.
- The surrogate mother may claim the child and want custody. It is often thought by many that the surrogate mother of the child may want the custody of the child because she has been carrying it. And to avoid situations like this, the legal procedures are a mandatory part of the entire surrogacy. The surrogate mother and her spouse/family are well aware that she will not have any legal right over the child.
- A common myth about surrogacy seen primarily in Asian countries like India is that the father has to sexually bond with the surrogate mother to give childbirth. The answer to this is a big NO. The procedure of surrogacy does not involve any form of a sexual relationship between the male and female. It gets artificially placed on the surrogate mother for fertilisation.
Surrogacy is not a negative option for childbirth. Like any other concept, it also has its pros and cons, which differs from case to case. Advanced technology has allowed struggling couples to have their kids. They debunk the myths, and it gives out a positive outcome.
