Should surrogate motherhood be allowed?

I came across a rather interesting yet controversial debate over surrogacy.

What is Surrogacy

A surrogate mother is a woman who carries and gives birth to a baby for another couple who are unable to have children in the normal way. This could be because the woman is unable to actually give birth, in which case the surrogate would carry the fertilised egg for the couple, or because the woman is not actually fertile, in which case the male’s sperm could be used to fertilise the surrogate’s egg by a surgical procedure. In the US, and in some other European countries it is legal for the surrogate to be paid for her role, in addition to expenses occurred. In the UK such payment is illegal, and indeed surrogacy itself is officially discouraged, by reports such as the Warnock report of 1984.

While we all know the positive factors to this debate here is a highlight of the disadvantages:

Contrary to the assumptions that underlie the proposition case, parenthood is not a fundamental human right. Besides, surrogacy is so controversial, and so traumatic for all concerned, that more conventional methods such as adoption should be used instead. Parents should not put their own desire to be parents over the possible damage it might cause to the baby.

Surrogacy will eventually and inevitably become commercialised, with mothers ‘hiring out’ their wombs to the highest bidder. Even if charges are standardised, the high level of such a fee will still ena that the rich are more likely to benefit than the poor, as they are more likely to be able to afford the cost. No case of parenthood should simply be decided by financial factors.

This arrangement would in fact create more problems than it solved, as such an unofficial arrangement would be a legal nightmare if the surrogate decided ( as has often happened ) to keep the baby, as she would of course be the child’s legal mother. Important links are formed between mother and baby in the first nine months, and to forcibly sever these links would be devastating for all concerned. Also, it would be far more confusing and damaging for the child if their biological mother was someone who from an early age they had known as a friend of their ‘parents’.

Even if there would be problems in enforcing a ban, we should still lay down the law; such an argument used against, say, growing cannabis at home would not invalidate a ban on drugs. Surrogacy is bad for both the mother and the child, and is beset by emotional problems for all concerned. Parents should not put their own interests above their child’s.

Author:Richard Mott ( United Kingdom )

My Views

Being able to give the happiness and everything that goes with parenthood to a couple who are not have been able to enjoy it, must be an amazing feeling. I would if I could be a surrogacy mum, but I know I could never hand that baby over, I have high respect for those who can. I also do not see why any finances should occur, other than travel costs and health costs. It is not buying a baby in my eyes.