The High Cost Of Lower Cost International Surrogacy- Part 1 of 2

For many people seeking to become parents through surrogacy, the monetary cost is certainly a big consideration. For this reason, scores of well-intentioned people have turned to the Internet to connect them with lower cost surrogacy options in the developing world. In response to this growing demand, countries such as India, home to a massive population of poor, uneducated women, have become popular places to contract surrogacy services. Because surrogacy is a relatively new concept, and newer still in the developing world, many countries, such as India, have not created clear policies and regulations that are absolutely critical to protecting both parties within such a delicate arrangement. Without these safeguards, ethical dilemmas and human rights problems emerge and are further exaggerated by extreme poverty, lack of opportunity, corruption and greed. According to the online magazine The Star, India’s “surrogacy-related fertility tourism has long been fraught with ethical and human rights concerns in the country.” While there is a non-binding guideline, “current rules are ambiguous about vital issues like the rights of the surrogate, their minimum age, details about the contracts, informed consent and adoption requirements. This opacity often leads to legal ambivalence for would-be parents or exploitation of poor Indian women who rent out their wombs to earn money.” “The trade in India also breeds unscrupulous middlemen who entice and push marginalised women into surrogate motherhood. There’s no protection against the misuse of a surrogate child for purposes of terrorism, prostitution or unethical genetic engineering research.” This is an alarming problem and an ethical quandary for childless couples looking for a lower-cost way of having their own biological child. Many parents are not aware that such corruption exists since there is relatively little negative press about the topic in comparison to all the sites that are promoting the industry. Click here for full story.



Another problem that emerges out of India is the question of citizenship. Because the offspring of surrogates are not automatically given Indian citizenship , the resulting non-citizen status may create difficulty in obtaining citizenship at a later time through the parent's home country. In one instance, a couple from Germany who went to India to have twins through a surrogate, were emeshed in a two year legal battle to obtain a visa for thier children to return with them to Germany. Click Here for the full story. All this uncertainty leads many people to look to select states in the US as the ideal place for surrogacy arrangements. Each child born within our borders, regardless of their parents county of origin is automatically given US citizenship. California leads the country in pro-surrogacy legislation offering more clarity and legal protections than any other place in the US. West Coast Surrogacy, located in Orange County is proud to be the premier agency in Southern California. We screen our surrogates carefully and support them throughout the pregancy resulting in many of them becoming WCS surrogates again. We also employ a team of professionals, including psychologists and lawyers who ensure our clients have the best possible outcome. Please visit our website to discover how our premier full service agency can assist you. West Coast Surrogacy