This paper provides an overview of surrogacy and the potential complexities involved in commissioning a surrogate baby. It reflects on the lead author’s previous surveys on this difficult topic that were conducted in 1997 and 2003. It offers an insight into the legal and ethical viewpoints on the matter that are held by various countries. Introduction: What is a Surrogate? Van Den Akker (2010) ...

In this paper we examine the questions "What does it mean to be a surrogate mother?" and "What would be an appropriate perspective for a surrogate mother to have on her pregnancy?" In response to the objection that such contracts are alienating or dehumanising since they require women to suppress their evolving perspective on their pregnancies, liberal supporters of surrogate motherhood argue t...

In this paper we examine the questions “What does it mean to be a surrogate mother?” and “What would be an appropriate perspective for a surrogate mother to have on her pregnancy?” In response to the objection that such contracts are alienating or dehumanising since they require women to suppress their evolving perspective on their pregnancies, liberal supporters of surrogate motherhood argue t...

Surrogacy is not regulated by a single legal instrument only, nor is confirmation of a surrogacy agreement by the High Court an unqualified green light for the surrogacy process to proceed. In the context of the HIV status of the commissioning father, whose gametes are to be used for the conception of the child in pursuance of a surrogacy agreement, the intended in vitro fertilisation of the su...

BACKGROUND Findings are presented of a study of families with a child created through a surrogacy arrangement. This paper focuses on the commissioning couples' reports of their experiences. METHODS A total of 42 couples with a 1-year-old child born through surrogacy were assessed using a standardized semi-structured interview. Data were obtained on motivations for surrogacy, details about the...