Running Head: SURROGATE MOTHER
Surrogate Mother
Surrogate Mother
Introduction
A surrogate mother is a form of Assisted Reproductive Technologies which has advanced due to the added number of persons lately who get themselves in the situation of not being able to conceive children of a child of their own. Surrogate motherhood incorporates the services of women that accept to become the bearer of the child with the main intention of giving the child away in time of birth to the persons unable to conceive. Approximately ten to fifteen of couples are not in any position to have children of their own. Surrogacy is not new but has been there since biblical times.
The increasing desire for the surrogate motherhood in the current world has been brought by the infertility diagnosis of the women; it is though not a must for women to employ this service of surrogacy. The aspects that have led to the becoming popular of this practice have been attributed to medical and social matters.
The United Sates has had approximately two to almost three million infertile couples; this is according to the Office of Technology Assessment 1988. Social factors that have led to the increasing speed of the rates of infertility and have brought about the added desire for the reproductive technologies are the manner for future marriages and the mode for increasing size of women to delay making children until later in their future (Van den Akker OB, 2007). Presently, with reproductive medicine, couples are in a good position to reproduce children who are either partly or wholly of them.
Ethics of Surrogacy
There are questions that arise as to whether surrogacy is right; there having been several complaints that have arose including the ethics behind it. The whole thought of children being created in tubes and being later carried by another woman not his or her mother is reason enough to instill fear into many people.
Those opposing this point of view present the argument that in the presence of all the many untaken care of babies that we have in the world, it hence becomes the sole responsibility of the infertile couples to possess them and take good care of them (Drabiak K, 2007). However, others have decided to go for surrogacy as opposed to adoption, which has been couple with several disadvantages. Among these limitations are several lops that one must go through before acquiring babies; interviews with social workers and requirements. This process is quite long leaving out the elderly that want to acquire a baby.
The surrogate motherhood is seen as an economic transaction which come issues such as emotional difficulty, rights of the body and the unhandled matters concerning the woman’s body. Ethical issues have arisen concerning the issue as to whether this act of surrogacy is dehumanizing or if it empowers these poor women that accept to follow this process (Encyclopedia, 2003). Moreover, it brings forth the aspect of exploitation for these poor women who do not have any ability to take care of themselves leave alone taking care of these children.
Those who present criticism of this principle of surrogacy argue that the payment offered to perform these services is an act of dehumanizing the mother which goes over board to exploit her organs for the main aim of making another person wealthy. Dr. John Lantos who works in the Centre for Practical Bioethics from the city of Kansas is renowned for his strong opposition to this aspect. He presents a strong argument that this practice creates the danger of baby farms in the advancing countries, surrounded by the possibility of elevated competition amongst the clinics which will end up compromising the safety measures for several women.
On the other hand, those who support surrogacy present the massive economic chances that are available for these women with the basis of good education and social aspect. Several interviews that have been conducted by these women have led to the outcome of them possessing a positive view concerning this process (Shenfield F, et al, 2005). They have enlisted the thought of buying a home, giving education to their children or even doing away with their debts. If these surrogate mothers are protected by the law one would present the argument that the movement of the income generation to these mums does consequently lead to the strengthening of these women (Jadva V, et al, 2003). This fact is clearly presented in the instance of microfinance and Mohammad Yunus, where small loans known as microloans are given to the women who head homes hence leading to an overly advancement of the society.
Ethical issues relating to the control that these women have over their bodies and their reproductive attribution have brought another instance that requires keen consideration. Those who argue for it term that equitable rights are allocated to all women thus giving them the ability to select for themselves their own lifestyle, sexuality and reproductive autonomy. Keeping in mind this aspect, when one tells a woman that when performing surrogate motherhood it creates a dehumanizing attribution of her body, presents a new form of paternalism.
Moreover, when we incorporate the aspect of reproductive autonomy and the freedom of conceiving presents democracy. It is hence a negative need for the government of matters concerning personal desire. Most governments operations on this matter are done according to the value of democracy, as well as ethical guidelines that advocate for a woman’s freedom to select which direction she wants her reproductive attribution to follow hence her reproductive rights.
On the other hand, the arguments supporting this issue of surrogate motherhood are challenged by the aspect of choice. Women in several countries are faced by varied forms of choices; take an instance where women have several children as well as the elderly persons to take care of, in addition to limited educational chances. This type of woman is not in any position to follow the feminist idea of choice. There can be a clear thought that the husband is the one who forced her to go for the practices of surrogate motherhood. The society as we know it today is completely against surrogate motherhood hence forcing most of the women to stay in homes that are apartment or even keep the issue of pregnancy to themselves. Others tell their friends that she is bearing a child for her relative. Such cases are considered to be debatable.
The ethical matter of surrogacy has more than often gone to the religious and cultural matters for desire of a solution. The bible has looked into the issue of infertility in Genesis, where Jacob’s wife was in no position to bear a child for him. Jacob prayed to God and asked him for a baby, God later sent him to his maid so that Jacob could lay with her and adopt the child as his own. Sara on the other hand performed the same practice by allowing Abraham to lay with the maid, Hagar.
There is a strong correlation between the implications that we get from the religious aspects and cultural basis affecting women’s health. The religious sections of the society have a massive influence on the government as well as the civil authority regarding issues that have to do with reproduction. Joseph Schenker has gone through some of the religious contrasts regarding ethics surrogacy, his outcome are quite fascinating (Schenker J., 2003). According to the Jews, a couple that does not have any child is categorized as being suffering in personal terms. This brings forth the objective to offer them assistance in all the ways known, with considerations given to no harm coming to them. The Catholic Church does not create a supporting statement on this form of reproduction. The Eastern Orthodox Church does allow medical and surgical diagnosis of infertility among them the Baptist, Methodist, and Lutheran among others. Other religions apart from Christianity like the Muslims allow and offer support for attempts that are made to treat infertility. This is however allowed to some extent.
Other religions like the Hindus have not focused on the issue of assisted reproduction as they lay more of their emphasis on Karma which offers a guideline to which children are supposed to live their life after birth. There is hence no disagreement that exists between Hinduism and the assisted reproduction that is allowed since it is considered as a treatment and does not in any way go against the religion’s beliefs. Doctors attribute surrogacy as meeting the three foundations of medical ethics; it gives people the freedom to choose for themselves; beneficence which is performing good acts and it doing no harm.
Conclusion
Surrogacy may be ethically allowed and a good act for assisting the infertile couples with keen considerations of all the ethical standards performed. The keen following of these acts through ethical committees is significant for accomplishment of these standards. Surrogacy is not that easy, it may result to stress hence it requires patience. The couples that are not able to make a child and the surrogate are supposed to acquire legal follow up before going through the process by agreeing and signing a contract. This is aimed at acquiring their best interest hence the need to know how the law handles this issue of surrogacy. The disclosure of this correlation should not be availed to others so as to avoid unwanted scrutiny.
Bibliography
Drabiak K, Wegner C, Fredland V, Helft PR (2007). Ethics, law, and commercial surrogacy: a call for uniformity. J Law Med Ethics. 2007;35(2):300-9.
Encyclopedia (2003). Surrogate mother. International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family.
Jadva V, Murray C, Lycett E, MacCallum F, Golom-bok S. (2003). Surrogacy: the experiences of surrogate mothers Hum Reprod. ;18(10):2196-204.
Schenker J. (2003). “Religious Perspective,” in Surrogate Motherhood, International Perspectives, Portland: Hart Publishing.
Shenfield F, Pennings G, Cohen J, Devroey P, de Wert G, Tarlatzis B. (2005). ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law 10: surrogacy. Hum Reprod. ;(10):2705-7.
Van den Akker OB (2007). Psychological trait and state characteristics, social support and attitudes to the surrogate pregnancy and baby. Hum Reprod.;22(8):2287-95.
