What Is Commercial Surrogacy Ethical
Commercial Surrogacy Commercial surrogacy is a process where a couple or an individual pays a fee to a woman for carrying and giving birth to a baby. At birth, the child is handed to the couple or individual, either privately or through legal adoption process. Infertile couples, samesex couples, or singles who wish to become parents, are the usual patrons for commercial surrogacy. Ethical and Moral Issues There are many moral and ethical issues surrounding commercial surrogacy. Some of the major issues will be highlighted and briefly explained in this paper. First off, is the standing of many religious sectors. Many religious sectors condemn this act, as it goes against their religious beliefs. Most religions believe that God, is the sole
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creator of life here on earth, therefore, and many argues, that God is the only one who have the right to determine the fertility of an individual. Hence, the practice is viewed as one trying to play god or exceed and proved to be better than God Himself. Religious sectors, especially the Roman Catholic church, also thinks that surrogacy violates the sanctity of marriage and the spiritual connection between husband and wife, and parents, and child. The Roman
Catholic church, argues that commercial surrogacy is turning the beauty and miracle of life into a dirty business transaction, reducing the child and the surrogate mothers as nothing but commodities. Turning women into “manufacturing babymakers”. Secondly, commercial surrogacy raises concerns of women being forced into being surrogate mothers by poverty. Most surrogate mothers, are usually recruited from the rural villages, whereby the lack of better option and the surrogates’ wish to provide the need of their own families, financially, and a better future for their children, does not allow clear thinking and true free and conscious decision making. It is also very disorienting to know that most surrogates view surrogacy as nothing more than a business deal, which in turn causes them to detached themselves, from the child during pregnancy, both emotionally and psychologically; whereas the child might feel abandoned upon birth. Thirdly, is the fact that the surrogacy program is very costly. The expectations of the prospective parents are very high, which sometimes lead to an immoral thinking, that they could choose children who are more likely to be “perfect” To better explain this, think of a situation where the child forming in the womb of the surrogate mother, was determined by the doctors, to have many health problems, from birth and as the child grow up. Sadly, when prospective parents hears this kind of news from the doctor, the usual course of action the prospective parents make, is to abort the child. Another case, is in Thailand where, a gay couple decided to abandon their long awaited child simply because she didn’t have blue eyes and her skin is is a shade darker than what they expected. Clearly, this is an issue that needs to be address quickly, because, what of the child who was aborted, s/he didn’t even had the chance to proved the s/he can overcome the obstacles life has thrown at her/him, or even the chance to live, and enjoy life.
Or, how would the child abandoned by her/his prospective parents feel, just because she didn’t have the right physical features? The fifth issue, is the potential risk of psychological and social harms, to the child, from having a socially constructed families rather than natural ones. Sixth, is the conflicting situation commercial surrogacy creates, where as many as five people can claim custody of the child, the prospective parents, the genetic donors
(egg and sperm donors) and the surrogate. This create, a confusion for the child, because who is s/he supposed to recognized as her/his real parents? There are many arguments are made to answer this question, however none has provide a definitive answer without only thinking atomically. The seventh issue, is that many feminist argues that surrogacy is slowly turning into another form of prostitution. Andrea Dworkin, a wellknown American feminist once stated,
“motherhood is quickly becoming a new form of female prostitution with the help of scientists who want access to womb for experimentation and power...”
It is not very difficult to see the similarities between the two acts, in prostitution sexual favours are exchanged with material compensation while in surrogacy, although the stigma of “traditional” whoring could not be applied, because of the lack of penile intrusion or any other sexual favors, it is still whoring because, in surrogacy it is not the vagina that is being “rented” but the womb. The eighth issue is, surrogacy separates sex from conceiving and motherhood from pregnancy. Since the embryo is fertilized outside the uterus, the act of love in conceiving a child is lost, therefore, one could not call the child in result to this, a child of love, but he/she would be more apt called, a child of science. The bond between mother and child that is created during the pregnancy is lost as well, because it is the surrogate who makes that bond with child during pregnancy, and not the prospective mother. Finally, the ninth and tenth issues, these issues are, the importance of the intimate relationships between humans, and the respect due to others.
In most common cases of contracts in commercial surrogacy, it is stated that the commissioning couple are to pay all the expenses during the pregnancy, and the surrogate is to give the child to her/his putative parents upon birth. However, this arrangement creates a huge dilemma because, if all parties follow through the contract then, the surrogate mother is being treated as a means to an end, because the commissioning couple, are not acknowledging the surrogates contribution, in the creation of the child, and the connection she made with the child, during pregnancy. Hence, the surrogate is not given the respect due to her, because she is being objectified, she is being treated as nothing but a commodity, a necessary accessory to achieved a goal.
Furthermore, if the commissioning couple, do acknowledges the surrogates connection with the child, they are harming the intimate relationships between, husband and wife, and parents and child. The presence of the surrogate as a third party in the relationship is a destructive element that gradually destroys the intimacy which exists in an exclusive, committed relationship. Recognising the surrogate as a person, rather than a means to end, means
that we cannot treat as an object or something that serves a function. The surrogate is in an intimate relation with both the child and the commissioning couple. This suggest that the intimacy and exclusivity of the relationship, into having their child is lost. The surrogate’s
involvement is different from anyone else, who might be said to have a relationship with the couple, since the involvement is directly with what is the most intimate expression of their love. When couples searches for a surrogate to carry their child, it is not to extend their relationship to include a third adult person, but to secure their relationship by extending it to include a child. A wise person once said,
“A couple intent on having a child at all costs sacrifices the exclusive bond between them and both their relationship and that with their child is compromised. Doing this intentionally is morally wrong” There are many more ethical and moral issues regarding surrogacy, however, the 10 issues that was highlighted in this paper, are some of the major key points that many sectors all over the world are using, whether it be a religious sect or a political sect etc. My thoughts:
Personally speaking, I do not see surrogacy as wrong, but I also do not think it is right.
I personally do not know where I specifically stand, in this particular issue. However, I do believe that couples wanting to have their own child(ren), should first consider adoption, because there are millions of kids all over the world who is in need of parental love. Couples, or anyone else should not think that in order to be family, they need to be blood related because, a true family have an intimate relations between them that could not be broken or shaken no matter what the circumstances are, and it does not require bloodrelation to form. I also believe that reproduction, is a basic right every being in the whole universe have, nor is it a sin to wish to have a child, despite all odds being against you. There is also nothing wrong, to want to have a better life and brighter future, or simply wanting to survive. However, we humans should not try to defy the laws of nature, and do things just because we can.We also have to be mindful of our decisions as to how it affects others around us, and its consequences both long term and short term. Bibliography: http://moses.creighton.edu/csrs/news/S921.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1376831/?page=1 https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/OApp/OAppOzol.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3531011/#!po=30.0000 http://blogs.einstein.yu.edu/reproductivetourisminindiaissurrogacyethical/ http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/03/world/asia/indiasurrogatemotherindustry/
creator of life here on earth, therefore, and many argues, that God is the only one who have the right to determine the fertility of an individual. Hence, the practice is viewed as one trying to play god or exceed and proved to be better than God Himself. Religious sectors, especially the Roman Catholic church, also thinks that surrogacy violates the sanctity of marriage and the spiritual connection between husband and wife, and parents, and child. The Roman
Catholic church, argues that commercial surrogacy is turning the beauty and miracle of life into a dirty business transaction, reducing the child and the surrogate mothers as nothing but commodities. Turning women into “manufacturing babymakers”. Secondly, commercial surrogacy raises concerns of women being forced into being surrogate mothers by poverty. Most surrogate mothers, are usually recruited from the rural villages, whereby the lack of better option and the surrogates’ wish to provide the need of their own families, financially, and a better future for their children, does not allow clear thinking and true free and conscious decision making. It is also very disorienting to know that most surrogates view surrogacy as nothing more than a business deal, which in turn causes them to detached themselves, from the child during pregnancy, both emotionally and psychologically; whereas the child might feel abandoned upon birth. Thirdly, is the fact that the surrogacy program is very costly. The expectations of the prospective parents are very high, which sometimes lead to an immoral thinking, that they could choose children who are more likely to be “perfect” To better explain this, think of a situation where the child forming in the womb of the surrogate mother, was determined by the doctors, to have many health problems, from birth and as the child grow up. Sadly, when prospective parents hears this kind of news from the doctor, the usual course of action the prospective parents make, is to abort the child. Another case, is in Thailand where, a gay couple decided to abandon their long awaited child simply because she didn’t have blue eyes and her skin is is a shade darker than what they expected. Clearly, this is an issue that needs to be address quickly, because, what of the child who was aborted, s/he didn’t even had the chance to proved the s/he can overcome the obstacles life has thrown at her/him, or even the chance to live, and enjoy life.
Or, how would the child abandoned by her/his prospective parents feel, just because she didn’t have the right physical features? The fifth issue, is the potential risk of psychological and social harms, to the child, from having a socially constructed families rather than natural ones. Sixth, is the conflicting situation commercial surrogacy creates, where as many as five people can claim custody of the child, the prospective parents, the genetic donors
(egg and sperm donors) and the surrogate. This create, a confusion for the child, because who is s/he supposed to recognized as her/his real parents? There are many arguments are made to answer this question, however none has provide a definitive answer without only thinking atomically. The seventh issue, is that many feminist argues that surrogacy is slowly turning into another form of prostitution. Andrea Dworkin, a wellknown American feminist once stated,
“motherhood is quickly becoming a new form of female prostitution with the help of scientists who want access to womb for experimentation and power...”
It is not very difficult to see the similarities between the two acts, in prostitution sexual favours are exchanged with material compensation while in surrogacy, although the stigma of “traditional” whoring could not be applied, because of the lack of penile intrusion or any other sexual favors, it is still whoring because, in surrogacy it is not the vagina that is being “rented” but the womb. The eighth issue is, surrogacy separates sex from conceiving and motherhood from pregnancy. Since the embryo is fertilized outside the uterus, the act of love in conceiving a child is lost, therefore, one could not call the child in result to this, a child of love, but he/she would be more apt called, a child of science. The bond between mother and child that is created during the pregnancy is lost as well, because it is the surrogate who makes that bond with child during pregnancy, and not the prospective mother. Finally, the ninth and tenth issues, these issues are, the importance of the intimate relationships between humans, and the respect due to others.
In most common cases of contracts in commercial surrogacy, it is stated that the commissioning couple are to pay all the expenses during the pregnancy, and the surrogate is to give the child to her/his putative parents upon birth. However, this arrangement creates a huge dilemma because, if all parties follow through the contract then, the surrogate mother is being treated as a means to an end, because the commissioning couple, are not acknowledging the surrogates contribution, in the creation of the child, and the connection she made with the child, during pregnancy. Hence, the surrogate is not given the respect due to her, because she is being objectified, she is being treated as nothing but a commodity, a necessary accessory to achieved a goal.
Furthermore, if the commissioning couple, do acknowledges the surrogates connection with the child, they are harming the intimate relationships between, husband and wife, and parents and child. The presence of the surrogate as a third party in the relationship is a destructive element that gradually destroys the intimacy which exists in an exclusive, committed relationship. Recognising the surrogate as a person, rather than a means to end, means
that we cannot treat as an object or something that serves a function. The surrogate is in an intimate relation with both the child and the commissioning couple. This suggest that the intimacy and exclusivity of the relationship, into having their child is lost. The surrogate’s
involvement is different from anyone else, who might be said to have a relationship with the couple, since the involvement is directly with what is the most intimate expression of their love. When couples searches for a surrogate to carry their child, it is not to extend their relationship to include a third adult person, but to secure their relationship by extending it to include a child. A wise person once said,
“A couple intent on having a child at all costs sacrifices the exclusive bond between them and both their relationship and that with their child is compromised. Doing this intentionally is morally wrong” There are many more ethical and moral issues regarding surrogacy, however, the 10 issues that was highlighted in this paper, are some of the major key points that many sectors all over the world are using, whether it be a religious sect or a political sect etc. My thoughts:
Personally speaking, I do not see surrogacy as wrong, but I also do not think it is right.
I personally do not know where I specifically stand, in this particular issue. However, I do believe that couples wanting to have their own child(ren), should first consider adoption, because there are millions of kids all over the world who is in need of parental love. Couples, or anyone else should not think that in order to be family, they need to be blood related because, a true family have an intimate relations between them that could not be broken or shaken no matter what the circumstances are, and it does not require bloodrelation to form. I also believe that reproduction, is a basic right every being in the whole universe have, nor is it a sin to wish to have a child, despite all odds being against you. There is also nothing wrong, to want to have a better life and brighter future, or simply wanting to survive. However, we humans should not try to defy the laws of nature, and do things just because we can.We also have to be mindful of our decisions as to how it affects others around us, and its consequences both long term and short term. Bibliography: http://moses.creighton.edu/csrs/news/S921.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1376831/?page=1 https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/OApp/OAppOzol.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3531011/#!po=30.0000 http://blogs.einstein.yu.edu/reproductivetourisminindiaissurrogacyethical/ http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/03/world/asia/indiasurrogatemotherindustry/