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SURROGACY: THE MORAL ISSUE

Surrogacy: The Moral Issue

Abbie Spittler
Bradford Area High School

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Abstract
Infertility affects millions of couples around the world. Approximately one in four U.S. couples
has an infertility problem. Surrogacy is an option for couples who cannot have children of their
own. Surrogacy is morally appropriate and should be accepted around the world for a number of
reasons. The surrogate mothers have a choice whether or not to carry the child, they are well
supported by the intended parents, and they provide infertile couples with a child of their own.
Critics of surrogacy have many different viewpoints about the moral issue of surrogacy. The
opponents believe that surrogacy is degrading to the surrogates and children, only wealthy
people can afford surrogate mothers and that the surrogate is the childs biological mother.
Although these opinions may seem wrong, surrogacy is nothing like the critics believes it is. The
surrogate mothers have the ability to help infertile couples achieve their dreams by providing
them with a child that carries their own genes.

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Surrogacy: The Moral Issue
Introduction
7.4 million women have received infertility treatments in their lifetime and 1 in every 8
couples have fertility issues. Infertility is the inability to conceive after a certain amount of time
or the incapability to carry a pregnancy to term (fastfacts). Surrogacy is an option for couples
who cannot have children of their own. There are two types of surrogacy that is used: gestational
surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy involves the production of an embryo
using the intended parents eggs and sperm which is then is placed inside a surrogate. Traditional
surrogacy is when the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the prospective fathers
sperm (Ethics). Natasha Skinner, a mother from Maryland, became a surrogate for her brother
and sister-in-law. Natashas sister-in-law had cystic fibrosis and was able to produce eggs, but
she could not carry them to term. Natasha chose be their surrogate mother because she believes
giving is just as good as receiving. She stated, The best part was at the end when they received
their baby, just to see the joy and happiness. Natasha believes her becoming her brother and
sister-in-laws surrogate brought them much closer which is important to families (babble). There
are many people who would relinquish their body to provide a couple with a child of their own.
Surrogate mothers have the freedom to use their body however they choose, so their desire to
produce a child for a couple outweighs the moral arguments against surrogacy. The critics of
surrogacy believe that this process is unnatural and bizarre. Surrogacy is morally appropriate
because surrogate mothers have the freedom to reproduce and it provides parents with the
opportunity to have a child of their own.

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Gestational Surrogacy is morally appropriate because the surrogate mothers have a
choice for whether or not they carry another couples baby. The individual carrying the child has
rights to self-determination, which includes freedom to reproduce by unconventional methods
(Roth, 2005). A surrogate's motives for carrying a couple's baby may be for economic reasons or
because they want to provide a child for a couple who cannot carry their own (Boleyn-Fitzgerald,
2010). If a woman chooses to become a surrogate, it is her own personal right to use her body as
a carrier for another couples child. The surrogate understands the consequences and symptoms
that are involved with the pregnancy. Feminist opponents of surrogacy believe that commercial
surrogacy make up "degrading and harmful traffic in children, violates the dignity of women, and
subjects both children and women to serious risks of exploitation" (Boleyn-Fitzgerald, 2010).
Taking the opponents view into consideration, becoming a surrogate is similar to any other job
where someone is paid to help others. Women using their bodies is only part of being a surrogate.
The surrogates are doing well for other people and are helping the intended parents achieve a
goal they cannot accomplish themselves. Surrogacy is a job unlike any that have the end goal of
helping others. Rayven Perkins, a four time surrogate mother from Texas, says:
The best part is knowing you did this for the right reasons when you deliver the
baby and the parents finally see him or her.....Without our assistance, there would
be four less children in the world. We are showing our own children how to be
generous and how to sacrifice for others. (Levin-Epstein, 2011, pp. 12-14)
Rayven Perkins and other surrogates have been given the gift to carry children and take
the opportunity to help others in need by carrying their child. The surrogates are not forced to

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help these couples; however, they make the choice and change peoples lives. As a result,
gestational surrogacy is morally appropriate because the surrogates make a choice to carry the
couples baby.
Not only is Gestational Surrogacy morally appropriate because of the
surrogates personal choice, but the surrogate mothers are well-supported by the
intended parents. Although there is debate on this point, it is clear that payment
must not be made contingent on the delivery of an acceptable product- a liveborn, healthy child. Rather, payment should be construed as compensation for the
surrogate mothers time and effort, her initiating and carrying the pregnancy, her
participation in labor and delivery, her acceptance of the risks of pregnancy and
childbirth, and her possible loss of employment opportunities. (Womens, 2008, p.
2)
This quote shows that surrogate mothers are not paid for delivering the child. Instead, the
women are paid for their time and for the sacrifices they have made to carry the child. Surrogacy
compensation is when the infertile couple pays all of the medical costs throughout the pregnancy,
as well as any payments to the surrogate mother. Surrogacy arrangements between close friends
or relatives may not require payments to the surrogate mothers. The surrogates offer their
services as an act of selflessness and may take on the burdens and risks of pregnancy for
strangers without compensation (Womens, 2008). Payments could help with lost work time,
unpaid bills, medical expenses and medicines or over-the-counter prenatal vitamins the surrogate
need for the duration of the pregnancy. Many women give up their body for their friends,

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relatives, or even strangers to help those in need. Critics or opponents of surrogacy say that only
wealthy couples will be able to pay the fee to the surrogate mothers and will be the only one
seeking surrogacy services (Womens, 2008). Although the opponents believe this, most
infertility procedures are costly and many couples are unable to afford them. The cost is not
specific to surrogacy agreements and can be an issue with a variety of other processes. Not only
does surrogacy help the infertile couple, but it also provides the surrogates with the chance to
have a successful life with the payments they receive from the couple. Surrogacy is a win-win
situation for both the surrogate and the intended parents. Therefore, Gestational Surrogacy is
morally appropriate because the surrogate mothers are taken care of during the pregnancy.
Gestational Surrogacy provides infertile couples the chance to have a child who carries
their own genes.
Infertility Statistics

(Figure 1)
Figure 1 shows that infertility can affect anyone, women or men, and that the rate of
infertility is growing every year. The reasons why women cannot carry their own babies can be

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caused by their own medical problems or difficulties that can risk the babys life or their own
lives. Women who can produce eggs, but cannot carry the baby to full term, may choose a
surrogate to carry and give birth to the child (Fenwick, 1998). There is a variety of reasons why
women are unable to have children, but the most common is infertility or being unable to carry
the baby. Even though there are other options besides using a surrogate for infertile couples, they
are not always the right choices for the type of situation for some couples. On the other hand,
opponents of surrogacy state that the surrogate is the childs actual biological mother because she
birthed the child. From the opponents viewpoint, they believe it should be similar to adoption,
making the surrogate the childs legal mother with the opportunity to back out and keep the child
similar to mothers during adoption (Roth, 2005). Considering the critics point of view, surrogates
should not be seen as the childs biological mother because during gestational surrogacy the
embryo is simply carried by the surrogate and she contributed no genetic material to the baby.
The surrogate is also well aware of what may happen before she carries the baby and should be
prepared to relinquish the baby directly after birth. Surrogates go through extensive screening,
both mentally and physically, before becoming a surrogate, which determines whether or not
they are able to successfully carry the child to full term. This would eliminate the chance of the
surrogate backing out and keeping the child.

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Discussion
In conclusion, Gestational Surrogacy is morally appropriate because the surrogate
mothers have a choice whether or not they want to carry another couples baby, the surrogates
are well supported by the intended parents and surrogacy provides infertile couples the chance to
have a child who carries their own genes. The surrogate is not forced to carry a couples baby,
but makes the altruistic decision to be a carrier for the embryo. They do it to help other couples
have the experience of having and parenting their own child. During the pregnancy, the intended
parents support the surrogate by paying for her medical bills and any other bills she may have
while carrying the baby. The parents also give the surrogate a fee that will help her in the future
pay for her own expenses. The most rewarding benefit that comes from surrogacy is the fact that
an infertile couple has the chance to have a child that carries their own genes. Infertility affects
many men and women everyday and surrogacy gives them the chance to achieve a dream they
thought might never come true.

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References
G Boleyn-Fitzgerald, M. (2010). Controversies in assisted reproduction: Surrogate motherhood.
In Beginning Life (pp. 28-39). New York: Facts on File.
Fast facts about infertility. (2015). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from
http://www.resolve.org/about/fast-facts-about-fertility.html
Fenwick, L. B. (1998). The moral, emotional and legal complexities of surrogacy. In Private
Choices, Public Consequences (pp. 215-243). Penguin Group.
Levin-Epstein, A. (2011, September 08). Why i was a surrogate mother: 5 women share their
stories. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.babble.com/pregnancy/be-a-surrogatemother-surrogacy-story/
Roth, J. K. (2005). Surrogate motherhood. In Ethics (Vol. 3, pp. 1440-1443). Pasadena, CA:
Salem Press.
Women's health care physicians. (2008). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from
http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/