What Is Commercial Surrogacy?

There are two types of surrogacy, commercial and altruistic. Altruistic surrogacy does not involve a financial agreement, but commercial surrogacy happens when a couple or a single person pays to a woman in exchange for her carrying and giving birth to a baby on their behalf.

Purpose

• Commercial surrogacy is an option for couples and single people who want a child but cannot have one naturally because of infertility. It also is an option for those in a same-sex relationship, or people who have an obstructive health condition. Each offers a financial incentive to secure a willing surrogate.

Process

• The couple or single person will seek a surrogate through an agency or privately on their own terms. A legally binding contract will be signed by both parties involved that declares what money is to be paid and the obligation of the surrogate to give up the child once it is born. Conception of the child will take place via sexual intercourse, artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization.

Considerations

• Commercial surrogacy is a controversial method of conception because people, governments and religious groups have questioned the ethics of involving money in a child's birth. As a result, commercial surrogacy has been made illegal or restricted in many countries in recent years, including parts of the United States and the United Kingdom.