Is surrogate mothering moral?

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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Despite moral and ethical issues surrogate motherhood has been popular all over the world. Surrogate mothering can be the way out and the rescue for the infertile couples who are not able to give birth to their children. The dictionary definition for surrogate mothering is "the process by which a woman bears a child for another couple, typically an infertile couple." There are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. In traditional surrogacy the surrogate mother is the biological mother of the child. In gestational surrogacy the surrogate mother is like an incubator for another couple's baby. Taking into consideration these forms of surrogacy and the consequences of such motherhood the question of morality is going to be discussed in the essay.

Traditional surrogacy is the most wide-spread form of the surrogacy as it is the effective one. However, the emotional issues involved in it are rather strong. No doubt, it is not easy for a woman who has had her baby under her heart for 9 months to give it away to the intended parents.

Therefore, this can be the reason for not parting with the child. Then the conflicts between the surrogate mother and the couple may arise. Here stands the question of morality on both sides. Is it moral to give away your own child or to deprive him or her of the right to have the real, biological mother? Of course, the questions should be considered seriously before planning surrogacy.

Gestational surrogacy is not as traumatic as the traditional one. The surrogate mother has no genetic connection with her baby. Therefore, the biological parents are the only ones who have the rights of bringing up their child. It seems to be more moral in comparison to the first form of surrogacy.

Taking into account the rights of the surrogate mother and the intended parents, the rights of the child shouldn't be forgotten. Therefore, there are some arguments against any surrogacy as the child can face undesirable circumstances. For example, the surrogate mother and the couple can refuse the child due to some reasons. In this case, surrogacy doesn't seem to be moral at all.

In conclusion, surrogate mothering can be assumed moral only on some certain conditions, such as appropriate arrangements of it. This includes the contract between the surrogate mother and the intended parents, where all the points are clearly stated and the rights of all the sides are considered. The most important person here is the child, and he or she shouldn't be offended or become the reason for the conflicts between the couple and the surrogate mother. The child should be loved by his or her parents and feel as a part of the family. The aim of surrogate mothering is to give birth to one more little man on the Earth and to make the whole family happier. If it is so, then nothing could be as moral as surrogacy.

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