Surrogacy motherhood is when a woman agrees to carry a pregnancy for another person or couple who cannot conceive or carry a child to term.
This arrangement involves using a surrogate mother who agrees to carry the intended parents’ embryo to term. Surrogacy motherhood is a complex issue with many legal, ethical, and moral implications.
In this blog post, we will explore how to write a winning position paper about surrogacy motherhood.
We’ll cover the various aspects of surrogacy motherhood, including its history, legal and ethical issues, the role of surrogacy agencies, and the perspectives of surrogates, intended parents, and society.
Reader's Roadmap
Background Information on Surrogacy Motherhood
First, you need to start with the history of the concept. Surrogacy motherhood is not a new concept. It has been used for centuries, although the methods and technologies involved have changed over time. The first recorded case of surrogacy motherhood was in the Bible, where Sarah, the wife of Abraham, gave her handmaid, Hagar, to her husband to bear him a child.
In the 1970s, the first gestational surrogacy was carried out using in vitro fertilization (IVF) to fertilize an egg outside the body and implant it in a surrogate mother’s uterus.
There are 2 main types of surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother uses her egg, fertilized with the intended father’s sperm.
The resulting baby is related to its surrogate mother genetically. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother has no genetic links with the child. Instead, a fertilized egg is implanted in the surrogate’s uterus, which she carries to term.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Surrogacy
What’s the next thing to discuss? Professional position paper writers recommend you focus on the pros and cons.
Surrogacy motherhood offers several advantages to intended parents who cannot conceive or carry a child to term. It provides a way for them to have a biological child they will love without going through the pain and trauma of infertility treatments or adoption. It also allows same-sex couples and single individuals to have a child who is genetically related to them.
However, surrogacy also has some disadvantages. It is an expensive process that requires a significant financial investment. It also raises legal and ethical issues, which can be challenging to navigate. Surrogacy can also be emotionally challenging for the surrogate mother, who may struggle with giving up the child she has carried for nine months.
Legal and Ethical Issues Surrounding Surrogacy Motherhood
Surrogacy motherhood raises many legal and ethical concerns. There are no federal laws governing surrogacy, and laws vary from state to state. In some states, surrogacy agreements are unenforceable, while in others, they are legally binding. This lack of uniformity can make it difficult for intended parents and surrogate mothers to navigate the legal landscape.
There are also ethical concerns surrounding surrogacy. Some people argue that it commodifies women’s bodies and reduces them to mere incubators. Others say that it exploits the vulnerability of women who are financially desperate and encourages the creation of designer babies.
Debates on the Rights of Surrogates and Intended Parents
The legal and ethical issues surrounding surrogacy motherhood have led to debates about the rights of surrogate mothers and intended parents. Some argue that surrogates have the right to control their bodies and should be able to decide about their pregnancies. Others argue that intended parents have the right to a child and should be able to dictate the terms of the surrogacy agreement.
The Role of Surrogacy Agencies in Surrogacy Motherhood
Surrogacy agencies play a crucial role in surrogacy motherhood. They help intended parents and surrogate mothers find each other and negotiate the terms of the surrogacy agreement. The surrogacy agency also provides support and guidance to both parties throughout the surrogacy process.
However, the use of surrogacy agencies also has some disadvantages. They can be expensive, and their fees can add to the overall cost of the surrogacy process. Some surrogacy agencies have also been criticized for exploiting surrogate mothers and taking advantage of their vulnerability.
Perspectives on Surrogacy Motherhood
Surrogacy motherhood is a complex issue that elicits different perspectives from different people. Consequently, surrogate mothers, intended parents, and society have different views on surrogacy motherhood.
Surrogate mothers who choose to carry a pregnancy for another person or couple often do so for financial reasons. They see surrogacy as a way to provide for their families while also helping others who cannot conceive. Surrogate mothers also see surrogacy as a way to give the gift of life to intended parents who cannot have children on their own. However, some surrogate mothers may struggle with the emotional challenges of giving up a child they have carried for nine months.
Intended parents who choose surrogacy motherhood see it as a way to have a biological child without going through the pain and trauma of infertility treatments or adoption.
Surrogacy allows them to have a child who is genetically related to them, which is not possible through adoption. However, surrogacy can be an expensive process, and intended parents may struggle with the emotional challenges of not being able to carry their children themselves.
Society at large has different views on surrogacy motherhood. Some people see it as a way to help couples who cannot conceive while also giving surrogate mothers a way to earn a living. Others see it as an exploitative practice that commodifies women’s bodies and reduces them to mere incubators. Cultural and religious beliefs and political and economic factors often influence society’s views on surrogacy motherhood.
Conclusion
Surrogacy motherhood is a complex issue that raises many legal, ethical, and moral implications. It provides a way for intended parents who cannot conceive or carry a child to term to have a biological child. However, it also raises many legal and ethical concerns, such as the commodification of women’s bodies and the exploitation of surrogate mothers.
Surrogacy agencies play a crucial role in surrogacy motherhood, but they can also be expensive and may exploit surrogate mothers. The perspectives of surrogate mothers, intended parents, and society differ on surrogacy motherhood, with some seeing it as a way to help others. In contrast, others see it as an exploitative practice.
Surrogacy motherhood requires careful consideration of its legal, ethical, and moral implications. Policymakers and society at large must work together to ensure that surrogacy is carried out in an ethical and fair manner that protects the rights of surrogate mothers, intended parents, and the children born through surrogacy.