Surrogacy Overseas as an easy option

Surrogacy seems to fast involving as the most means of artificial reproduction. It is of immense help to those who cannot conceive due to various medical issues or do not want to become pregnant. It is also a boon for gay or lesbian couples. Surrogacy in the first world countries however, involves lots of cost and also legal hassles. The costs range from financial reward to the surrogate, to medical expenses to the amount that is to be given to the agency. The laws in these countries are also very stringent. For example, in the United States, costs regarding surrogacy range anywhere from $30000–$50000. In comparison to this, charges in a developing economy like India are from $2000–$5000. This had led to the growing tendency of opting for surrogacy overseas.

The option of surrogacy means that the intending couple get to have their own child at very low cost. However, while opting for this method, one must be thoroughly aware of the rules and regulations of the host country. For example, in India there is no law regarding surrogacy. There is only a bill passed by the Supreme Court in 2008 to legalise commercial surrogacy. Apart from this bill there are only a set of guidelines established by the National Council for Medical Research which should technically be followed. One should also know about the legalities involved in case the surrogate is the biological/genetic mother or a gestational mother. In cases of the surrogate being the biological mother, all adoption rules are to be followed. Many hospitals in India also help couples find surrogates. Before agreeing on a surrogate mother overseas the commissioning couple should also ascertain the health and medical condition of the person. By virtue of the fact that in a country like India most available surrogates belong to the lower strata, concerns of health become a serious issue. This stems from the belief that people belonging to these strata suffer from malnutrition. This may have a serious impact on the unborn child.

Surrogacy overseas also means that developing nations serving as host get to increase their realm of medical tourism. This becomes an added bonus to the economy and aids the process of development. Medical tourism in India is an ever growing concept and is expected to turn into a 1–2 billion dollar business by 2012. Surrogacy is also contributing to this mammoth figure and is estimated to be a 449 million dollar industry in India. These figures indicate that India is slowly becoming the favored destination for surrogacy overseas. Alternatively this also calls for increased laws and a vigilant approach towards surrogacy so that none of the parties suffer in the deal.

Surrogacy overseas means that a childless couple get have to their own ward at very little cost. They save big if they go to countries like India. However, they should be ready to accept the results that this will reap and also beware of the moral implications of this technique.