For the first time in human history, the process of creating one's own child can be fully outsourced to a stranger, even one who lives in another country.
Unregulated commercial surrogacy has allowed individuals or couple living in China or California to "hire" the womb of a woman living in Eastern Europe, have her impregnated with their own sperm and/or eggs or those of donors, control whether the resulting child is born or aborted, and decide whether to take the newborn home or abandon it.
That technological innovation creates tremendous ethical, legal, and moral questions for society. What rights does the child have, both before and after birth? Does the child have the right not to be "sold" from their mother? After growing in the surrogate mother's womb for nine months, what effect does being removed from the birth mother have on the child's future emotional well-being? How does society protect the child's right to an identity and a family? Is commercial surrogacy a form of slavery, and does it violate international norms prohibiting the sale of children? Should "intended parents" be required to demonstrate their capacity to parent a child, as adoptive parents must do? What rights does the surrogate mother have? What responsibility to States have to protect all parties involved?
This website and its partner social media sites grew from a recognition that few understand this "brave new world" in which the elite now have the options to custom-build a child, contract for a child free of defects, and outsource the pain (and the joy) of childbirth to others.
We'll share with you the latest news items, legal and legislative developments, and opinions on the issue. We'd also love to hear from you your thoughts on surrogacy, especially if you've have a personal connection to the issue, and we honor requests for confidentiality or anonymity. We hope this project will culminate in a book that can be a resource for families, advocates, policymakers, attorneys, and thought leaders.
Surrogacy Ethics: Exploring Ethical and Legal Issues in Surrogacy
Surrogacy Ethics is your essential resource for understanding the complexities of international and commercial surrogacy. We provide regular information on court cases, legislation, academic research, and global developments, presented in articles, blogs, and columns. Our platform encourages community engagement through feedback while ensuring that all content is informational and not legal advice.