For most surrogate mothers they are expected to give up the child she has borne over approximately nine months willingly and if not by legal contract. The mother is not to have a relationship with the child after birth so that the child will only know its nurturing another couple and shall not be confused. Public controversy over surrogate motherhood is accelerating. Because surrogacy questions cherished culture beliefs and ideals regarding the mother – infant relationship.
Critics of surrogacy say the problem that arises is that the mother naturally has a connection to the child formed during pregnancy and giving them up is very hard. The surrogate mother may suffer terrible and emotional distress in the long term because of the loss of her child. This may lead them to fight back for the. These result in legal battles such as the case of Baby M as the surrogate mother changed her mind and kidnapped the child.
Also the couple going to have custody over the child may be ridiculed, or unsupported by their family and society. The child when born may also be subjected to this mocking and may feel inadequate to other children about the way it was born This follows the point of how to tell the child about how it was created. It would also be difficult to explain to the child that the parents paid for the ability to raise it. The amount of technological knowledge may be too much for the child to understand as well as the confusing idea of multiple parents, such as in the case of Jaycee as the court did not know who her real parents were as it was anonymously done.
In today’s society more and more items and services are being treated as products, and are being bought and sold. This, in a way has not turned to the service of providing children for couples. Just like a person would walk into a store, choose and item buy it and leave with a receipt. A couple wishing to have a child can walk into a clinic, choose a surrogate mother and buy the child she produces from her, and leave with a contract saying that the child is theirs legally.
Many people who oppose this see the process as if the couple is buying the surrogate mother’s gestational services and the clinic that oversees the whole process. This idea has been used to link it to a form of prostitution. In this case the couple purchases or rents the use of a woman or one of her body part for a period of time. The woman performs what she is told to do and leaves with a cash payment. In this case the clinic is seen as the pimp as it receives his cut of the woman’s purchase price.
The cash gained is often as a reason to become a surrogate mother the median fee paid to surrogates is around $10000 in America. This seems to be an Exploitation of the surrogate mother, as this seems to be a low wage for someone who is carrying a child for you.
Commercial surrogacy is often seen as baby – selling, with the clinics allowing babies to be sold. The sale of humans is illegal and against their human rights. This has caused constitutional problems in the U.S. as it contradicts the 13th Amendment which was passed in 1865 which states “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction”. In places like China Surrogacy has been now deemed illegal.
Believers of surrogacy think that if a couple can acquire a baby then it is better for them. As a child today is expected to carry on the family name and line. People also want an heir to their possessions as well as to the family business.
Supporters of surrogacy say that a couple which wanted children but were unable to have children In the past only had two options: to adopt or to remain childless. But many couples that chose to remain childless often lose a feeling of self – worth and are criticized by society. And could result in a couple breaking up. If it is done properly it has the potential to fill the void and make way for great joy and happiness.
Adoption may not always be the answer to gaining a child. There is genetically a screening process potential parents must pass through in order to get a child, as well as the adoption fee and legal proceedings to claim the child as their own. Another problem with adoption is that there aren’t enough children to go around for all the childless couples. Today, to obtain a baby couples go to the extent of going to second or third world countries’ orphanages to avoid the wait of getting a child.
Supporters though believe that surrogacy has been an accepted process to get round female infertility, In the Old Testament Genesis 16:1-6, as Sarah could not bare children as she was too old, so she asked her servant maid to sleep with her husband Abraham so she could have a child. This still turned out for the worst as both women had contempt for each other and the servant maid was cast away.
In conclusion, it is difficult to come to an agreement on the issues of surrogacy. It may be help those infertile couples who whish to have a genetic linked child but if not done properly it can have a bad effect of everyone including the baby involved. The rights and betterment of the child are usually ignored as surrogacy can in most cases been seen as baby – selling. It can also be seen as a form of prostitution. But, several issues seen in surrogacy are similar to other issues that today’s society is facing, such as blended families, or single motherhood. The issues regarding surrogate motherhood are many. There is no set was to decide how to best approach surrogacy, if at all.