The ethics of surrogacy

Surrogacy, the act of carrying and giving birth to a child for someone else, brings up difficult moral questions about liberty, exploitation, and turning human life into a commodity. 

We decided to talk about the ethical aspects of surrogacy, including whether it is moral, the different moral problems, and what these issues mean for applied ethics.

Read more: Can Christians do surrogacy?

Is surrogacy ethical?

There isn’t a clear answer to whether surrogacy is ethical.  It largely depends on the context in which surrogacy occurs—specifically, whether it is altruistic or commercial.

• Altruistic Surrogacy: In this type of agreement, the surrogate usually gets paid for her medical bills and lost wages, but she doesn’t get any extra money. Supporters say this form protects the surrogate’s privacy and reduces the risk of abuse. Some people, though, say that even surrogacy, for good reasons, can cause emotional and mental problems for the surrogate mother, who may form a bond with the child she carries.
• Commercial Surrogacy: On the other hand commercial surrogacy includes getting paid money in addition to the cost of the pregnancy. This plan can give surrogates a lot of benefits, like financial security. Still, it also raises concerns about exploitation, especially for women who are poor and may feel pressured to become surrogates to make ends meet. 

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Many people believe that making money from having babies can dehumanize children, treating them like products that can be bought and sold. This approach might also lead to ethical issues regarding the rights of both the surrogate mother and the child.

In the end, whether surrogacy is moral depends on how well it protects the rights and well-being of all the people involved, including the children, the intended parents, and the surrogates.

What are the ethical issues of surrogacy?

When people talk about surrogacy, a lot of important moral questions come up. Some of these problems are the rights and freedoms of surrogate mothers, the chance of exploitation and power differences between those involved, and the effects on the child conceived through surrogacy. 

When looking at surrogacy from an ethical point of view, it is alsoessentialt to think about things like informed consent, making reproductive processes commercial, and the mental challenges that both surrogates and intended parents face.

Read more: 5 Reasons to Choose Iran for Surrogacy

Let’s see the details below: 

• Exploitation: One of the biggest worries is that surrogate moms, especially those from lower-income families, could be used for money. Some people say that financial incentives can force women into surrogacy agreements without them fully knowing the risks.
• The commodification of Children: The idea that kids can be bought or sold brings up serious moral questions about their worth and rights. When kids are seen as goods instead of people with value on their own, this commodification can happen.
• Bodily Autonomy: During pregnancy, surrogate mothers have to make hard choices about their bodies. There are concerns about their freedom to make decisions about their health and the health of the unborn child, especially when they disagree with the intended parents about medical choices.
• Legal and Psychological Implications: Surrogacy agreements are usually very complicated legal documents that might not cover all the possible custody issues or the mental effects on everyone involved. High-profile cases have brought these problems to light, showing that the law is not clear about parenting rights.
• Health Risks: Pregnancy and giving birth can be hard on the health of surrogate moms. Because of their ethical importance, these risks must be taken into account, and it is essential that surrogates are fully educated and helped throughout the process.

Read more: Can it be surrogacy-free? 

What are the applied ethics of surrogacy?

When it comes to surrogacy, applied ethics means turning these moral concerns into practical rules for practice and policy:

• Regulation: To ensure the safety of everyone involved, it’s important to establish clear rules for both paid and unpaid surrogacy right away. We need to create fair payment standards that not only guarantee fair compensation for surrogates but also help prevent any form of exploitation.
• Informed Consent: It is crucial to ensure that surrogate mothers give their informed consent. Throughout the process, they should be fully aware of their rights, any possible risks, and the effects of their choices.
• Psychological Support: Giving surrogates psychological support before, during, and after pregnancy can help them deal with the mental challenges of giving up a child after birth. Everyone who is involved in a surrogacy deal should be able to get counseling.
• Ethical Oversight: Setting up separate ethics committees to keep an eye on surrogacy can help make sure that moral standards are followed and protect people from possible abuses in this area

Read more: IVF in Iran

Sometimes, doing surrogacy in other countries helps you overcome a limitation in your own country while saving money. One of the best options for surrogacy is Iran: 

Do surrogacy in Iran in a completely legal way: 

Surrogacy is a safe option for couples who want to have children in Iran because the country has clear rules about it. They give people who want to be surrogates two choices: one where the surrogates are paid and one where they do it for free. With so many choices, parents can pick the one that works best for them.

Iran offers some below services in surrogacy: 

 Source: IranHealthAgency supports all these processes and gives you affordable options for all surrogacy types in Iran. We send you two legal contracts: standard and guaranteed surrogacy contracts, which are slightly more expensive. 

Click the link below to contact us on WhatsApp for more information or help. We’re excited to hear from you!

surrogacy in Iran