Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a practice which involves a contract between a woman who agrees to carry an egg in her uterus until the baby is born for the intended parents who cannot conceive a child of their own - sometimes because of numerous failed ectopic pregnancies. There are two forms of surrogacy, traditional and gestational, which help families conceive. In traditional surrogacy, a woman’s egg is fertilized by an anonymous donor or the intended parent’s sperm. In gestational surrogacy, a woman is implanted with an embryo through the procedure of IVF. Surrogates are usually compensated for their services for the time and pain associated with the procedure and process of being a surrogate. Relationships in surrogacy can have multiple names to describe each person involved in the process. It can also complicate the process to determine who is the mother. However, it can best be summarized as “In surrogacy relationships, we can distinguish between genetic (or biological), gestational and social (or rearing) parents. Thus we can say that a traditional surrogate is a genetic mother because she contributes her egg to conception' She is also the gestational mother because she carries the pregnancy” (Vaughn 360). Once the baby is born these relationships end and the intended parents become the only parents. At times these relationships do not end so neatly and the various relationships involved can complicate the simple contract and procedure. This is one of the reasons why surrogacy is such a controversial procedure despite its obvious benefits for families and children.

Surrogacy is a controversial issue between those who believe that the procedure allows people to have children when they otherwise might not be able to and those who morally have a problem with the issue. I believe that surrogacy is a valuable procedure which contributes to society and allows families to be created. As more and more couples wait to have children until their careers are in place which has made it more difficult for some couples to have children. Surrogacy also assists LGBT couples who cannot traditionally conceive and provides them with another option other than adoption. Some families reject adoption because they want a child who is biologically related although surrogacy is just a viable contributor to society as adoption has been. Anderson has also discussed the distinct differences between adoption and surrogacy. Some families are unable to care for the child of another family or provide as much love to a child that they do not see as having blood ties toward. Also, the practice of surrogacy is another alternative to illegal practices such as buying babies which some couples may resort to if they are unable to conceive children on their own or meet the strict legal requirements they must adhere to in order to adopt a child legally.

Those who are against surrogacy have multiple arguments regarding why they are against the procedure. One of the strongest positions comes from a feminist standpoint which suggests that women are utilized as a commodity in the surrogacy process. They suggest that women are just machines to create babies and children are products that are being purchased. While the compensation provided to women is supposed to compensate for their time, pain and energy devoted to giving birth to a child, it can be argued that the compensation is actually used to pay for a baby. “Probably the most pervasive argument against surrogacy is that surrogacy arrangements amount to baby-selling, a blatant affront to human dignity” (Vaughn 368). The woman who is usually a surrogate is in a lower socioeconomic status than the intended parents. This is due to the reason that those who agree to be a surrogate usually need the money and are not doing it for altruistic reasons. Also, it is expensive for intended parents to go through the surrogacy process so they usually need to have the money to be able to pay for it. However, this can be seen as a rich couple taking advantage of poor women. The socio-economic differences can contribute to the theory that the woman's body is used as a commodity and she is being taken advantage of by the parents. Those against surrogacy argue that the procedure is not a socially valuable action that it is a commercialized way to create babies rather than adopt children who are in need of parents.

In her article on women’s labor as a commodity, Anderson argues that a woman’s role in the surrogacy process is not only to have her be seen as a commodity but it also degrades her in the process. “When women’s labor is treated as a commodity, women are disrespected and degraded.  Lowering their status to this commodity too also degrades the children” (Anderson 72). Anderson goes beyond the commoditization argument to depict the whole process as demeaning to women and the intended parents who bring the children into their home. She further states that all surrogacy will be inherently demeaning to women as it tears the biological ties that are held between women and their children. 

The theory that surrogacy is a valuable process which contributes to our society withstands this argument that women have become a commodity in the procedure. While Anderson is a proponent of the theory that women are used as a commodity in the surrogacy process, the reasons she lists as to why surrogacy should be allowed contributes to my theory. “Shortage of children available for adoption and difficult qualification as an adoptive parent, Two fundamental basic human rights, the right to procreate and freedom of contract...The surrogate mother is said to be a labor of love... and no different than other acceptable means of childbearing, therefore, this too should be accepted” (Anderson 72). Women who participate in the process are taken care of financially but also medically and emotionally. Doctors serve to ensure that women’s health is in optimal condition. The family who is receiving the child and if needed a therapist can help the women deal with the process she is undergoing. Due to the valuable service, the women are providing she is seen more than just a commodity. Also, the child is not just a product as the family goes through a difficult process in order to find a surrogate. The child that is created through this process is not just a product but a new family member to be loved and cherished. Through the love and security provided by the family, the child will grow up to become a valuable member of society by contributing to its family and community. Surrogacy and those involved contributes to the ongoing cycle of reproduction, life, and humanity. The surrogate is a part of it rather than just a commodity and the child that is created is part of that as well rather than just a product.

Anderson’s argument regarding the degradation of women and children involved in the process of surrogacy can be refuted through the analysis of the benefits that are received by all of the families who go through the process. Without surrogacy, infertile couples and LBGT couples would never be able to have a biological child of their own. Women who are surrogates are also given significant financial benefits which they might not have otherwise had. While Anderson may look down upon the commoditization of the procedures those that are involved in the process do not look down on the financial benefits that they receive through the procedure. Surrogates also gain from the altruistic work that they do in ensuring that families have children to care for. These women and children may not feel degraded if they are asked about the process and the benefits that they have received from the process of surrogacy. 

Surrogacy is a valuable process for families and society as a whole. Surrogacy creates families and also provides a means of compensation for those willing to be a surrogate. If the process is undergone through a careful and deliberate process the procedure can be successful for all those involved. However, at times cases such as the M baby demonstrate what could go wrong with surrogacy and they create additional controversy. It is not disputed that there could be risks associated with the surrogacy process, however, the benefits that are gained far outweigh the possibility of these risks. Morale questions will always exist when science interferes with the biological process. Surrogacy should be allowed to continue due to these benefits that are provided to families and society as a whole despite the risks.

Works Cited

Anderson, Elizabeth. "Is Women's Labor a Commodity." Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 17, no. 1, 1990, pp. 71-87.

Vaughn, Lewis. Bioethics: Principles, Issues, and Cases. New York: Oxford UP, 2010.