#Surrogacy exploits poor women

[coochiequeens]

Another country where 43.5% of the population lives in poverty is becoming popular with surrogacy agencies

"International Appeal: Understanding Why Families Globally Choose Surrogacy in Mexico

The international appeal of surrogacy in Mexico is rooted in several key factors. First, Mexico’s robust healthcare system, renowned for its high-quality medical services, has made it a primary choice for surrogacy.

Second, the country’s inclusive culture and open acceptance of diverse families provide a welcoming environment for all prospective parents. Lastly, the competitive costs of surrogacy services in Mexico have made it an attractive option for many families worldwide.

Mexico’s legislation around surrogacy is another significant factor contributing to its international appeal. Although certain states have more specific regulations, the country as a whole provides a legal framework that facilitates the surrogacy process. This provides reassurance to prospective parents, making Mexico a safe and viable choice for surrogacy.

The international appeal of surrogacy in Mexico also extends to the country’s geographical location. For North American and European families, Mexico’s proximity offers easy travel for appointments, legal proceedings, and the eventual birth of their child. This geographical convenience coupled with the country’s advanced healthcare infrastructure makes Mexico a prime destination for surrogacy."

Wow that sounds awesome for families experiencing Infertility. I wonder if there be other reasons couples are looking to Mexico?

"t was not all good news. The agency also reported that extreme poverty — defined as people who do not have enough income even to buy enough food — edged up from 7% of the population in 2018 to 7.1% in 2022. Because of the increase in overall population, that meant that extreme poverty cases rose from 8.7 million people in 2018 to 9.1 million in 2022."

[cowgirlgirl2002]

Surrogacy is human trafficking. Having biological children isn’t a right. Being a gay couple isn’t a reason to exploit a poor woman’s body and buy a child. Genuinely terrified that many men (both straight and gay) are buying kids to assault and abuse them, yes it has been several cases of men doing so. Surrogacy is exploitive and trafficking, bad enough that it’s unregulated to begin with. The fact they are promoting surrogacy and egg donations to young women is just beyond insane it’s so predatory and ridiculous. The entire surrogacy and fertility industry is a scheme for men to finally gain control of reproduction.

[magnoliamyrrh]

india thailand nepal: ban commercial surrogacy bc they realize its leading to the exploitation of poor women

ukraina: prime example of commercial surrogacy leading to the exploitation of poor women

the internet: prime example of plenty of ppl talking about their surrogates as if theyre inhuman, baby incubators, spewing sexist shit

western feminists w their heads in the clowds: uhhh surrogacy is actually good and progressive and also banning it takes away opportunities from poor women and also -

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

“Some view the practice as a means of gaining financial autonomy and draw parallels with sex work, arguing that women should have the right — and freedom — to so-called commodify their bodies if they choose. Yet others have drawn comparisons with practices like the sale of organs, and ask, if the option of becoming a surrogate is presented to vulnerable women who are desperate to lift their families out of poverty, how much can their decision ever really be construed as an active choice?

…

The transnational element to commercial surrogacy agreements — which overwhelmingly involve those from affluent countries traveling to poorer nations to source a surrogate — is another reason many are uncomfortable with the practice, leading some bioethicists to brand it a form of biological colonialism. Before the practice was outlawed in India — first for foreign couples in 2015 before being entirely banned in 2021 — stories in the country’s press abounded of women recruited from deprived, rural regions, being pushed into signing surrogacy contracts they were unable to read and, once pregnant, crammed together in dormitories. Surrogacy in Nepal generated headlines after the 2015 earthquake, when the Israeli government swept in to airlift a small group of Nepalese women carrying the babies of Israeli nationals out of the disaster zone, while other earthquake victims were left behind, bringing stark global inequalities into sharp relief. Commercial surrogacy flourished in Thailand until 2015 when the country banned it for foreigners after a series of high-profile cases, including an Australian couple who were accused of abandoning their “Baby Gammy,” who was born with Down syndrome.”

[haggishlyhagging]

The use of multiple women in families for reproduction is grounded in many religious patriarchal traditions. Men took an array of wives and concubines, not only for sex but also to reproduce. The reproductive use of multiple women was culturally and religiously legitimated as extended family, otherwise known as polygyny. In ancient Israel, for example, a large family, in particular a large number of sons, was regarded as a blessing from Yahweh. The desire for progeny was partially responsible for the system of multiple wives and concubinage. Surrogacy, especially family surrogacy, replicates this model, with the man inseminating a female family member in order to reproduce "his issue." As one commentator noted, we are really talking not only about surrogate mothers, but about "surrogate wives."

The potential for women's exploitation is not necessarily less when no money is involved and reproductive arrangements take place among family members. In fact, the family is the least safe place for women. More women are sexually abused, battered, and killed in the family context than anyplace else. Yet most of the literature on family surrogacy—sisters bearing children for sisters, for example—romanticizes the family as the foremost place of protection. However, unique affective "inducements" exist in familial contexts that do not exist elsewhere. Although there is no legal "coercion of contract" or perhaps no "inducement" of money, there could be the coercion of family ties, in which having a baby for a sister or another family member may be rationalized as the "greatest gift" one woman can give to another. In these family situations, sisterhood becomes surrogacy; that is, sister love is equated with one sister becoming pregnant for her sibling. Yet, rather than surrogacy enhancing sisterhood, is it not exploiting a sister to put her at risk physically and psychologically? As one woman wrote, "What kind of a society do we live in, that would condone women using other women in this way?"

Gifts often have an operative role and power in shaping family life, as in social life in general. In The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies, anthropologist Marcel Mauss contends that gifts fulfill certain obligations. These obligations vary, but in all instances, whether gifts are used to maintain social affection or to promote unity or loyalty within the group, they are experienced in some way as prescriptive and exacting. This is true on a cultural level, as Mauss has pointed out, but it is even more true on a family level, the context most often cited as the desirable site of altruistic reproductive exchanges.

Family opinion may not force a woman, in the sense of being out-rightly coercive, to become pregnant for another family member. Where family integration is strong, however, the nature of family opinion may be so engulfing that, for all practical purposes, it exacts a reproductive donation from a female source. When a surrogate arrangement is represented as generosity to a family member in need, the ideal of altruism binds the woman to the norms of family duty.

Within families, it may be considered selfish, uncaring, and even dishonorable for a woman to deprive a relative of eggs, fetal tissue, or her gestating abilities. The category of altruism itself is broadened in family contexts to include all sorts of nontraditional reproductive duties that would be frowned on if women did these for money. Within families, it may be considered selfish for an infertile woman to deprive her husband of children by not allowing the use of another female family member, especially because the arrangements will be kept within the family.

It is also likely that those with less power in the family will be expected to be more altruistic. Indeed, their altruism may be outrightly coerced, as happened to Alejandra Muñoz. Muñoz, a poor, illiterate Mexican woman, was brought across the U.S. border illegally to bear a child for relatives at the urging of family members. Told by relatives that if she became pregnant the embryo would be flushed out and transferred to the womb of her cousin, Muñoz was deceived about her reproductive role. When this embryo transfer did not happen, Muñoz vowed to end the pregnancy and was thwarted by family members who kept her under house confinement until the delivery. When she fought to keep her child, she was threatened with exposure as an illegal alien. In family surrogate arrangements, relatives do the brokering. Family members are inevitably used as essential intermediaries and gatekeepers between the woman and the would-be recipients of a child.

And women are still negotiated by family agents, whether for money or for free. We should also not assume that, because surrogate arrangements occur within the family context, no money changes hands. Increasingly many relatives accept a "return gift" for their services. In the realm of organ donations, by comparison, Dr. James Light of the Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center, one of the nation's largest transplant centers, estimates that some economic benefit accrues to 15 to 20 percent of living organ donors who give to a relative.

-Janice G. Raymond, Women as Wombs

[butterflyrocks]

Another thing about surrogacy is that some parents know that there are ethical and exploitative problems with it, but either way they do it.

The excuse I have found more prevalent is the one where they try to justify themselves by saying they have tried all the other methods, even adoption and IVF, but they haven't worked. Like that just justifies the use of another woman's body for your interest.

If you can't have children maybe it's time to reconsider some pets or some social work that can fulfill your life.

And the other excuse is when they try to deny the exploitative conditions in which the women are. Especially when these women are from India, where there is a millionaire industry that profits from rural and poor women who act as surrogates.

And when they don't deny these conditions, they say that they did what was best for the woman and that they couldn't have helped in any other way.

[This was all taken from a survey done in Sweden with parents through surrogacy.

I want to specify that for the date of the study (2013) only 100 families had gotten kids via surrogacy in Sweden.

The data more closely to 2024 that I could get was 2019.

For that year the parents via surrogacy had incremented by 115 parents. Making it a total of 215 parents via surrogacy in 2019. It is very likely that for 2023 it would have increased too. If anyone has the day please share it.]

[coochiequeens]

If you're so desperate for a baby you are OK with them starting out in a warzone maybe you should ask yourself why are you willing to go to that extreme instead of adopting.

People need to realise the lengths we’ll go to’: Ukraine’s surrogacy industry booms amid war

A British couple has described how they met their twins in incubators before having to move to a safe room as an air raid siren sounded Amita Chakravorty and Sham Jagpal had twins via surrogate in Ukraine

By Gabriella Jozwiak December 14, 2024

Juggling feeds and nappy changes is a learning curve for all first-time parents of twins. But when London couple Amita Chakravorty and Sham Jagpal became mum and dad to Rey and Ryo in July this year, they also had to learn to survive missile and drone attacks, as the boys were born through surrogacy in Ukraine.

“It’s been a really crazy journey,” Amita told The i Paper from the couple’s London home while the four month olds napped. “People need to realise the lengths people like us will go to have a baby.”

The couple are among thousands globally choosing the war zone as a surrogacy destination. Despite the dangers and difficulties accessing the country, Ukrainian agencies say business is booming.

Couples come from countries including Pakistan, China, Australia, Spain and Italy. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine was the third-most popular for British couples after the US and UK, according to fertility law firm NGO Law.

Since then, more than 1,000 babies have been born through BioTexCom Surrogacy agency alone, according to its legal adviser Denis Herman.

On the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, about 200 surrogate mothers with this provider were pregnant. “Not even a month passed and we received calls to start or continue surrogacy processes,” he said.

Amita Chakravorty and Sham Jagpal missed the births of their twins after they arrived early and were confronted with life in a war zone

In addition to war, demand for surrogacy services has also withstood new laws coming into force in Italy. While surrogacy is already illegal in the country, in December a new law will ban couples from having a baby abroad. Herman believes this will not stop Italian couples coming to Ukraine, even though they could face up to two years and a €1m (£832,000) fine.

Alexander Schuster, a lawyer specialising in medical reproductive rights in Italy told The i Paper he would “strongly refrain anyone from going to Ukraine [from Italy] because it’s pretty sure they will have criminal proceedings started under the new law”. However, he believed couples could avoid the sanctions by entering plea bargains if this was their first crime.

For Amita, who suffers endometriosis and adenomyosis, surrogacy was a last resort.

After a decade trying to start a family involving 15 rounds of IVF in four different European countries and three miscarriages, the couple opted for surrogacy with the Ukrainian World Centre of Baby (WCOB) agency in 2023.

“We looked at the UK, Columbia, Mexico – we did our research,” says Sham. Ukraine only accepts married heterosexual couples, or those in a civil partnership, that are medically unable to carry a pregnancy to term. At least one intended parent must be genetically connected to the child – usually the father. If an egg donor is needed, this cannot be the Ukrainian surrogate.

Ukraine was preferable for the couple because Ukrainian law recognises the intended parents as legal guardians from conception. In the UK, the surrogate mother is the child’s legal parent at birth, meaning parental rights have to be transferred by parental order or adoption.

Amita and Sham had their biological materials (embryos, sperm and eggs) already frozen at a clinic in Czechia. WCOB transported these to Ukraine, meaning the couple only had to make one trip to collect their babies.

“We were clearly apprehensive because the country was at war,” said Sham. “But the clinic said everything is functioning normally in Kyiv. It was perfectly open for us to continue with the process.”

The babies are now four months old and back in the UK

Costs in Ukraine are also markedly lower than other countries. Helen Shumskyh, head of sales at Vireo Agency in Ukraine, said that the cost of surrogacy in Ukraine was between £33,000 and £54,000 for a package, including transport to the country, accommodation, surrogate expenses and agency fees.

In the US costs range from £103,000 to £276,000. In the UK surrogacy is legal, but surrogates cannot be paid, and surrogacy agreements are not enforceable by law.

“The price in Ukraine now is almost the same as it was before the war started,” Shumskyh said. “Usually in surrogacy there is a yearly evaluation of the prices, but no one has increased rates here because we all understand that in our current situation we need to attract customers. After the war finishes, we expect prices to change.”

The agency currently has 15 couples at various stages of their surrogacy journey. Shumskyh says demand increases every month. The company has sought to reassure prospective parents by relocating surrogate mothers to Western cities of Lviv and Ushgorod once they reach 28 weeks of pregnancy. These are far away from the front line and experience fewer attacks. Although surrogates can live in higher-risk eastern regions until then.

Ukrainian surrogate mothers are aged up to 35 and must have already given birth naturally to a healthy child. They receive between £11,700 and £14,200 per pregnancy. Nova Espero agency deputy director Sergey Glushenko said surrogate mothers were “normal, wealthy women” who wanted to help others, as well as make money.

“In 90 per cent of cases the surrogate wants to improve their living conditions, such as buy a new apartment,” Glushenko said. Despite worsening economic conditions in Ukraine, he said the number of women applying to become surrogates had not increased.

Amita and Sham never met their surrogate mother. They missed the birth as the twins arrived unexpectedly almost six weeks prematurely. Because flights to Ukraine are banned, the couple travelled to Poland then by car to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

“We were stepping into the unknown,” says Amita. “We passed so many graveyards on the way. It became real that so many people have died.”

Finally the couple met their twins, who were both in incubators. “There are no words to describe the feelings when you see your babies,” Amita recalls. But quickly they were brought back to reality when an air raid sounded and hospital staff moved the babies to a safe room. It was the first of numerous such experiences.

The couple spent many sleepless nights sheltering in their AirBnB bathroom when sirens sounded. On more than one occasion they saw explosions in the sky as air defences shot down enemy drones above them.

On 26 August they took cover in an underground station as Russia attacked Ukraine with 200 missiles and drones, knocking out the power supply. “When we came out, everywhere you could smell chemicals or gunpowder,” said Amita. “At the flat we had no electricity and couldn’t sterilise bottles for the babies’ feeds.”

The couple expected to spend six weeks in Kyiv waiting for passports to be issued. In the end, legal delays left the family stranded for more than two months. Despite this, the couple said they “wouldn’t change a thing”. But recommend others consider Ukraine carefully, as the paperwork took them longer than anticipated.

Since bringing their boys home, Amita and Sham have kept in close contact with friends they made in Ukraine. “They were generous, kind,” said Sham. “It was a kind of warmth you don’t see in the world anymore.”

Amita has not deactivated the air raid alerts on her phone. She believes people in the UK are unaware of the danger the war poses. “This is real,” she said. “Don’t think that war is not going to come here.”

Yes I have empathy for a woman who wpuld go through 15 rounds of IVF in four different European countries and three miscarriages, but at some point the someone in the industry should have stopped taking money and suggested adoption.

And was it a coincidence that they had boys or was the frozen material they sent to Ukraine sex screened beforehand?

[lesbianlenas]

in my family law class last week we were discussing surrogacy not as a moral issue but as a parental custody issue and going over cases where the surrogate wanted custody of the child she gave birth to & discussing the law around that. but the way that ppl talked abt it did rub me the wrong way a little bit. i think a lot of ppl do not think very hard abt surrogacy or its implications. almost as if when a woman is a surrogate they only think of her as a baby incubator rather than as a human being with a life who is using parts of her own body to craft a baby herself for someone else. ppl seem to think that the sperm and egg are the only thing that matter to the development of a fetus as if the surrogate is not donating her blood bones nutrients etc to its growth. women are not passive in the making of a baby their bodies spend nine months in an extremely intense process that literally draws from her own body to make a new one. and on top of that this is done to allow rich couples to have children at the expense of the health and potentially lives of poor women. i don’t think anyone has the right to have a child and i don’t think anyone should be able to outsource and pay a woman to have a child for them. all it does is further class and racial divides and exploits women’s bodies as being factories and turns babies into commodities. is it so crazy to say that human beings should not be bought or sold? even in the context of reproductive labor? the fact is that women have been forced to perform reproductive labor for free since the beginning of time and adding a price tag to it does not create liberation. real liberation is when a woman will ONLY have a child if she chooses that she wants to have one without any outside influence. that includes financial gain. but many ppl have such an internalized view of women as baby makers that i don’t think they actually realize how messed up the concept of surrogacy actually is. but i think that we need to always be thinking abt the implications of women taking on roles that perpetuate and are directly rooted in the systemic misogyny of the world we live in. that is all.

[cowgirlgirl2002]

Surrogacy is so weird, and exploitative. Imagine using a poor woman’s body to carry and build your child, when you could just adopt a kid who needs a home. Surrogacy is abolished in other countries because it’s trafficking of women and baby buying

[surrogacycentre-india]

Can Foreigners Avail Surrogacy Services in India?

Surrogacy has long been a viable option for individuals and couples struggling with infertility. India was once considered a global hub for affordable surrogacy services, attracting hopeful parents from across the world. However, with the implementation of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, the landscape of surrogacy in India has significantly changed.

Can Foreigners Still Opt for Surrogacy in India?

No, foreigners are no longer allowed to avail surrogacy services in India. As per the updated law, only Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) couples are permitted to pursue altruistic surrogacy within the country. This decision was made to regulate the practice, ensure ethical standards, and prevent exploitation.

What is Altruistic Surrogacy?

Under the current law, only altruistic surrogacy is permitted in India. This means the surrogate mother cannot be paid or compensated, except for medical expenses and insurance. Commercial surrogacy, which involves any monetary benefit beyond medical reimbursement, is now strictly prohibited.

Key Eligibility Criteria Under Indian Surrogacy Law:

The intending couple must be Indian citizens or OCI card holders.

They should be legally married for at least five years.

The woman should be aged between 25 to 50 years and the man between 26 to 55 years.

Surrogacy is allowed only for medical reasons, such as infertility.

Why Was the Law Changed?

The primary reason behind restricting surrogacy to Indian and OCI couples is to:

Prevent exploitation of poor Indian women.

Ensure the practice remains ethical and humane.

Eliminate the commercialization of surrogacy.

Conclusion

If you're a foreign national hoping to build a family through surrogacy in India, it's important to know that the new law does not permit you to do so. Only OCI couples can access surrogacy services, and even then, only through the altruistic route.

For those eligible, it is crucial to consult with recognized surrogacy centres in India to ensure full compliance with legal and medical guidelines. Always choose a center that offers ethical care, legal transparency, and complete medical support throughout the journey.

[appro880]

Pope Francis generally took a more inclusive and compassionate approach to LGBTQ+ issues than his predecessors, while still upholding traditional Catholic teachings on homosexuality. He expressed that LGBTQ+ people should not be judged and that "being homosexual isn't a crime," but he also affirmed that homosexual acts are sinful. 

Here's a more detailed look at his views and actions:

Inclusion and Compassion:

"Who am I to judge?": This phrase became synonymous with his approach, indicating that he wouldn't judge LGBTQ+ individuals for their sexual orientation. 

Opposition to criminalization:

He repeatedly condemned laws that criminalize homosexuality, calling them unjust. 

Blessings for same-sex couples:

In December 2023, he formally approved blessings for same-sex couples, though these blessings were not to be seen as a formal approval of the union itself. 

Outreach to transgender people:

He met with transgender individuals and expressed compassion and understanding towards them. 

Elevation of LGBTQ+ friendly leaders:

He appointed individuals who were seen as allies to the LGBTQ+ community to positions of authority within the Church. 

Meetings with LGBTQ+ individuals:

Pope Francis actively met with LGBTQ+ people, including transgender individuals, and even issued apologies for hurtful language used towards gay men. 

Affirmation of Traditional Teachings:

Homosexual acts are sinful: .

While advocating for compassion and inclusion, Pope Francis also maintained that homosexual acts are sinful, aligning with the Church's traditional stance. 

"Gender theory" opposition: . He criticized what he called "gender theory," expressing that it sought to cancel differences on the pretext of making everyone equal. 

Opposition to surrogacy: . He condemned surrogacy, arguing that it exploits women and harms the dignity of the child. 

In summary, Pope Francis's approach to LGBTQ+ issues involved a balance between compassion, inclusion, and the continued affirmation of traditional Catholic teachings on the morality of homosexual acts. He sought to show that LGBTQ+ individuals are children of God and should be welcomed and not judged, while also upholding the Church's doctrine on the sinfulness of homosexual acts. 

While Admittedly Not a Catholic; I Cannot Deny the Impact the Head of the Catholic Church Has in World Affairs in General...

As the Largest Denomination Among the Estimated 3 Billion Christians Worldwide; The Catholic Church's Estimated 1.4 Billion Members Worldwide, Wield Tremendous, Influence... Despite It's Somewhat, Checkered Past, Some Would Argue, It's Moral Suasion, With Regard to "Speaking Truth to Power", is Undeniable...

Pope Francis at Age 88, Was Laid to Rest Yesterday.

He Was a Remarkable and Incredibly Compassionate Man... On the Issue of Gay Rights, He Walked a Very Thin and Tenuous Line in Holding Up the Traditions of the Church, and His Efforts Toward 'Inclusivity', Not Only to the LGBTQ Plus Community, But Also the World's Poor and Disadvantaged...

Notably, He Was the First Leader in the Church's 2000 Year History to Endorse, Civil Unions...

It Still Remains to Be Seen Which Direction the New Church Leadership Will Take On Related Matters in the Future. However, I Personally Feel Respect For and Embrace the Efforts, Pope Francis, Made With Regard to His Outreach to Our Community, and the World Community for the Good of All Mankind...

R.I.P: Pope Francis...

[nursingwriter]

Surrogate Parents For many infertile couples, the assistance of a surrogate mother represents one last hope for becoming a genetic parent. They thus turn to surrogate mothers, or women who bear children for couples who cannot become parents through normal pregnancy and childbirth (Gentry). With careful preparation on both sides, surrogate parenting can be a viable option for couples to conceive a child and add to their family. For many critics, the concept of a surrogate parent still retains the tinges of the 1986 Baby M. case, where the surrogate mother refused to give the baby to the intended parents. Others charge that this practice provides another opportunity for couples to exploit poor women. However, statistics show that the practice of surrogacy is steadily growing. Figures from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) show that there were 1,210 attempts at surrogacies in the year 2000, doubling the figure from 1997 (Hamilton). Since 1976, experts estimate that from 15,000 to 16,000 babies have been born through surrogate mothers in the United States alone (Kornreich). The rising popularity of surrogate parenting stems in part from new technology. In the Baby M. case, the surrogate mother was also the biological mother, because she was artificially inseminated with the intended father's sperm. Today, however, 95% of these types of pregnancy involve "gestational surrogacy," where the intended parents sperm and egg are used to create an embryo, that is then implanted into the surrogate's uterus. Though more expensive than traditional surrogacy, this type also insures that the intended parents are genetically related to their child (Gentry). For many surrogate mothers, the fact that the baby they are carrying is not their genetic child makes it easier to think of themselves as helpers or "aunts." Though many people worry of another Baby M. case, statistics show that out of 15,000 to 16,000 surrogate births, there were only 23 cases where the surrogate mother refused to relinquish the baby. Most of these cases were largely attempts to negotiate better payment terms. Reproductive law specialist Andrew Vorzimer adds that in most cases, the courts ruled in favor of the intended parents (Katz). New techniques of matching a surrogate mother and the intended parents have also given surrogates a more respected role in the process. After all, despite the compensation package, surrogate mothers rarely agree simply because of the money. Instead, they are women who have had children of their own, and are motivated by a desire to help other, childless couples. As a surrogate mother states, "those children needed me to walk them across a bridge to their parents" (Glazer). Other critics charge that couples who opt for surrogate mothers are merely selfish people who do not want to face the inconvenience or discomforts of a pregnancy. Such criticism, however, is unfounded. Most couples that opt for this technology have already been trying for years to get pregnant, through a variety of means. This includes Marla Cullington, who could not get pregnant due to fibroid tumors in her uterus. Like most mothers, Cullington declares that she "would give anything to be carrying (her) babies" (cited in Glazer). Also, the vast majority of physicians who specialize in reproductive endocrinology would not work with intended parents unless there is a clear evidence of medical need (Glazer). The cost alone is enough to discourage all but the most motivated parents. Though the expenses vary, many specialists agree that a couple could spend up to $65,000 in surrogate fees, hormone treatments, agency/lawyer fees and other related expenses (Kornreich). Also, in addition to infertile couples, the technique of surrogate parenting helps other people have families as well. Gay couples and single women are among the other people who have used surrogacy to become parents. Finally, a study by British psychologists has shown that couples who achieve parenthood through surrogacy exhibit better parenting skills than many parents who have children on their own. The study, the first scientific research on the effects of surrogacy, found that such families "are generally closer and better adjusted than those begun in conventional fashion" (cited in Gardner). Conducted by the Family and Child Psychology Research Center at London's City University, the study found that "surrogate" families rated higher that traditional families in indicators such as the mother's warmth and enthusiasm in talking about their children, the quality time spent by the mother and father with their child and the emotional attachment between mother and child. Experts ascribe this to the fact that many such couples have been waiting for years to become parents (cited in Gardner). In conclusion, despite popular fears and a well-publicized court case, the practice of surrogacy continues to thrive. New reproductive technologies as well as more compassionate and cooperative agreements between both sides have helped to address the previous problems associated with the surrogate process. Many infertile couples that cannot have genetic children any other way thus see surrogacy as a last chance to travel the road to parenthood. Works Cited Gardner, Marilyn. "Love, not a laboratory, makes a good parent." Christian Science Monitor. July 10, 2002: 20+. ProQuest Database. Glazer, Ellen. "Sharing a Pregnancy Society." Boston Globe, June 10, 2001: C1+. ProQuest Database. Gentry, Carol. "Surrogate Firm May Link Up with Yale." Wall Street Journal. February 3, 1999: NE1. ProQuest Database. Hamilton, David P. "She's Having our Baby: Surrogacy is on the Rise as In-Vitro Improves." Wall Street Journal, February 4, 2003. ProQuest Database.  https://www.paperdue.com/customer/paper/surrogate-parenting-148853#:~:text=Logout-,SurrogateParenting,-Length3pages Katz, Debra. "Womb for rent." Parenting. December 2001/January 2002: 86-93. ProQuest Database. Kornreich, Jennifer. "Whatever happened to surrogate motherhood?" Redbook. October 2002: 182-192. ProQuest Database. Read the full article

[kuklamarzanny]

stop slapping "white" infront of everything to appear more woke. western europeans and americans are mostly trafficking children and surrogate mothers from eastern europe (esp ukraine rn, exploiting poor women in a fucking war zone) who SHOCKER are also white

edi: oops didn't see OP was from 5 years ago surrogacy has been banned in many previously targetted countries since then, the article I posted is about the current situation in 2023

THANK YOU

[coochiequeens]

"In regard to the unkind messages about surrogacy and our path to having a baby—it’s okay to not be an expert on surrogacy. It’s okay to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s okay to not know the motivations of a surrogate, regardless of what you assume." Fuck that. It's OK to question a couple that chose surrogacy so the pregnancy and recovery wouldn't interfere with the show the mom stars in. If they couldn't take the time to go through pregnancy how are they going to make the time to raise the kid? My guess is by hiring that out to another woman as a nanny.

"In regard to the unkind messages about surrogacy and our path to having a baby—it’s okay to not be an expert on surrogacy. It’s okay to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s okay to not know the motivations of a surrogate, regardless of what you assume."

By Yana Grebenyuk  January 28, 2025

Despite fan concerns about where season 5 will be set, Starr pointed out a crucial detail to Deadline, saying in September 2024, “She didn’t change her Instagram handle to Emily in Rome. She is working in Rome sometimes. Sylvie’s company has an office in Rome. Emily’s getting that on its feet. I don’t necessarily think that it means a permanent — in my mind, it’s definitely not a permanent — move to Rome. We’re not leaving Paris.”

[lesbianlenas]

omg. reading this case on surrogacy where the supreme court of california found that for a gestational surrogacy the woman who intended to have a child at the outset is the mother (so the genetic mother) and the birth mother argued that surrogacy leads to the dehumanization and exploitation of women to which the court said:

“we are unpersuaded that gestational surrogacy arrangements are so likely to cause the untoward results anna (birth mother) cites as to demand their invalidation on public policy grounds. although common sense suggests that women of lesser means serve as surrogate mothers more often than do wealthy women, there has been no proof that surrogacy contracts exploit poor women to any greater degree than economic necessity in general exploits them by inducing them to accept lower-paid or otherwise undesirable employment”

which. lol. lmao even. i KNOW this decision was written by a man bc how is a poor woman having her body used as an incubator for a rich couple’s baby to survive the same as any other “undesirable job?” there is such an intrinsic view of the role of women as baby makers here. well it is just like anything else that a woman use her body to birth a baby. the same as doing textile work or factory work or retail even. men do not view a woman having a baby as being traumatic and impactful on the woman’s body bc to them that is just what women are meant to do so whatever. other jobs do not require nonstop use of your internal organs for 9 months in a way that you are not able to quit from. and the product produced is not a literal human child that you formed with your body over 9 months. but thank you for enlightening us that actually surrogacy is no worse than the exploitation poor women already suffer so they should suck it up.

[spherulengo]

UMMID: Spreading Hope and Awareness about Infertility in Rural India

In the quiet corners of rural India, where traditions run deep and modern healthcare often feels out of reach, a silent struggle affects millions of couples: infertility. This pervasive issue, shrouded in myths and stigma, leaves many feeling isolated and hopeless. Recognizing the urgent need for awareness and support, the Spherule Foundation has launched the UMMID Infertility Awareness Project, a nationwide initiative aimed at educating and empowering rural communities.

Infertility is a complex issue that affects both men and women, yet it remains a taboo subject in many rural areas. The lack of awareness and understanding often leads to misconceptions and societal pressure, exacerbating the emotional and psychological burden on couples. The UMMID project seeks to break this silence by providing accurate information, debunking myths, and fostering a supportive environment for those facing fertility challenges.

The project employs a multi-faceted approach to reach its goals. One of the key strategies is conducting workshops and awareness sessions across rural communities. These sessions are designed to be interactive and culturally sensitive, ensuring that the information is accessible and relevant to the audience. By engaging community members through storytelling, expert talks, and Q&A sessions, the project aims to create an open dialogue about infertility and its causes.

A significant aspect of the UMMID project is its focus on ethical awareness regarding Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and surrogacy. In many rural areas, poor and uneducated women are often exploited for surrogacy and ART procedures. The project addresses these unethical practices by educating communities about the legal aspects of surrogacy and ART, emphasizing the importance of adherence to existing laws. By raising awareness about the rights and responsibilities of both surrogate mothers and commissioning parents, the project aims to protect vulnerable women from exploitation.

Collaborations with local healthcare providers play a crucial role in the success of the UMMID project. By partnering with healthcare facilities, the project offers free or subsidized fertility screenings and arranges informative talks and counseling sessions with fertility specialists. These collaborations ensure that individuals and couples have access to professional medical advice and support, which is often lacking in rural areas.

Community engagement is at the heart of the UMMID project. Educational materials in local languages are distributed to address infertility causes, treatments, and prevention. Awareness walks and community events encourage participation and foster a sense of solidarity among those affected by infertility. By sharing their stories and experiences, community members can support each other and reduce the stigma associated with infertility.

The impact of the UMMID project is measured through regular reporting and evaluation. Pre- and post-awareness surveys assess changes in knowledge and attitudes, while feedback from participants helps to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities. The project aims to achieve several key outcomes, including increased awareness about infertility, reduction in myths and stigma, ethical awareness of ART, and enhanced community engagement and participation.

The UMMID Infertility Awareness Project is more than just an educational campaign; it is a beacon of hope for countless couples in rural India. By addressing the root causes of infertility and providing much-needed support, the Spherule Foundation is empowering individuals and communities to take control of their reproductive health. Through this initiative, the foundation is not only spreading awareness but also fostering a culture of empathy, understanding, and ethical practices.

For more information about the Spherule Foundation and their programs, visit www.spherule.org or follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

This blog post highlights the impactful work of the Spherule Foundation's UMMID Infertility Awareness Project. By focusing on education, ethical practices, and community engagement, the foundation is making a significant difference in the lives of couples facing infertility in rural India.