Today the problem of infertility is extremely acute for married couples. In Russia alone, 5.5 million families cannot have children, who sometimes resort to the services of a surrogate mother. However, this step is very difficult - both physically and psychologically, so you should clearly understand who needs the help of a stranger in giving birth to a child.
Surrogacy program: why and for whom is it needed?
Under the surrogacy program, these services can be received by a woman who is contraindicated in carrying a fetus or who does not have organs of the female reproductive system. In such cases, doctors use the sperm and eggs of the infertile couple, fertilizing them and transferring them into the body of a healthy woman who has given her consent to the procedure. The probability of a successful pregnancy for a surrogate mother is 30 to 70%.
The first surrogate child was born to an English couple in 1989, and in the CIS countries this practice was introduced in 1995.
Today, there are about 250 thousand children born by surrogate mothers in the world, but not everyone welcomes such a procedure. So, many feminists are sure that surrogate motherhood turns children into a commodity, and women themselves consciously strive for profit, playing the role of an incubator for someone else's child. Church groups view this type of motherhood as an immoral and sinful activity that undermines the sanctity of family ties and childbearing.
Benefits of surrogacy
Today, a surrogate mother is the only way out for many childless couples who want to have a child of their own blood - after all, many men refuse to raise adopted children, arguing this by the lack of common genes. According to supporters of surrogacy, it does not commercialize childbirth, but is an act of humanity, love and compassion towards women who are deprived of the joy of motherhood.
Surrogate mothers themselves must weigh the pros and cons before concluding a contract - after all, they are also at great risk.
With regard to the exploitation of surrogate mothers, each of them receives a very large material reward, as well as moral satisfaction from doing a good deed. For these reasons, the assertion that this type of motherhood is something unworthy is a short-sighted and superficial opinion.
Regarding the risks - a child conceived in the egg of a surrogate mother herself may inherit some genetic defects from her - but in other cases this is impossible, unless the real mother is their carrier. In addition, a surrogate mother should take full responsibility for bearing a fetus - not to take drugs, not drink, not smoke, eat well and not be nervous.
