Aldrece Ne S.

Castroverde

January 26, 2012

SURROGACY Surrogacy is one way for a couple who are unable to conceive to have a child. The process involves a contract between the couple and a woman who agrees to become pregnant, carry the fetus to term and turn the baby over to the couple almost immediately after birth. While there are other ways for a couple to become parents, such as adoption, surrogacy allows the couple to have a genetic link to the baby.

Gestational Mother Involvement. The gestational mother in a surrogacy arrangement is unquestionably an important part of the child's background and, depending on the manner of surrogacy chosen, may be genetically linked to the child. However, since the gestational mother will not be the child's primary caretaker, and since typical surrogate mother arrangements involve full parental rights being transferred to another party, there will naturally be questions about the extent to which the gestational mother should be involved in the child's life. Such arrangements are often decided in advance and specified in legal contracts between the surrogate mother and the intended parents or parent. In some arrangements, the identities of the two parties are never revealed to one another. In others, the gestational mother may be granted legal visitation rights. There are plenty of other types of arrangements, with no rules dictating right or wrong. But it is important for this arrangement to be thought out, agreed upon and perhaps established in legal terms prior to beginning the surrogacy.

In conclusion surrogate motherhood enables infertile couples to have children and fulfill their parenthood dream. But before deciding to pursue surrogacy as an option for having a child, it is wise for couples to consider the pros and cons of the issue.

Autonomy is one of the bioethical principles that can apply that is giving voluntary informed consent of the surrogate mother. Autonomy can also be implied when the surrogate mother refuses to have prenatal care or refusal of giving the child to its biological parents.