The Pope has recently made statements suggesting that surrogacy is “inhumane” and “abhorrent.” She spoke of women, often the poor, being exploited and used as surrogates with few rights and little compensation. Additionally, he mentioned how children created in this way can become human traffickers. Since she came out with these comments, many other Christian leaders have made similar statements about surrogacy in general.
However, those who see value in surrogacy point out that there are many laws to protect surrogates, especially in the United States, and more changes to those laws are being considered. They also point out that surrogacy is actually as old as the Bible. Abraham and Sarah did not have children, and Sarah arranged for Abraham to have a child with Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian slave.
While Sarah later gave birth to Isaac, Abraham and Hagar’s son, named Ishmael, came first. Sarah and Abraham are not alone in the difficulties they face. It is believed that about 20 percent of heterosexual couples are dealing with infertility. Others want to have children but have medical conditions that make it too risky. Of course, there are also individuals and same-sex couples who want to have children, as well.
Surrogacy has been used throughout history, but it has often been handled quietly and calmly. Everything changed in 1984 when a couple publicly advertised for a surrogate. However, after the baby was born, the surrogate wanted to keep the child and a court battle ensued. While custody of the child was ultimately awarded to the couple, the judge also prohibited any further surrogacy arrangements, preventing the couple from having additional children this way. The law in that state has since been updated with a strong surrogacy statue.
As we can see, surrogacy has been around for thousands of years. It’s not new, but it’s being talked about more than ever. That brings many opinions to light, and encourages the creation of new laws and regulations that will increase protections for everyone involved in the process.
We aim to give our clients a straightforward breakdown of what can seem like a complicated and scary process so they can enjoy the wonderful experience of bringing a child into the world through surrogacy. Learn more and schedule your consultation today!
