Surrogacy: what it is, how it works and the 4 types that exist

There are people who, despite their great desires and attempts to be mothers and fathers, cannot be so on their own; adoption for them is not an option, so they go to the surrogacy as the way to have your own children.

But what is surrogacy? Is a practice known as "surrogacy", and it is a method of assisted reproduction. In this article we will tell you everything about this topic, somewhat controversial for some people.

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What is surrogacy?

When a woman agrees to carry the baby of another couple in her womb or another person who has not been able to do it herself, we are talking about surrogacy. It is a method of assisted pregnancy that we can also call surrogacy, surrogacy, or the most popular form of all: surrogacy.

The truth is having children is not as easy as we might believe and it does not depend only on the desire and love that we feel for motherhood and fatherhood. We are a very diverse society in our types of sexuality and adoption is not the option for everyone. This is why heterosexual couples, homosexual couples, single men and women decide on surrogacy.

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How does surrogacy work?

So that you understand it better, the way in which surrogacy works is through the creation of embryos using the fertilization technique in vitro, which is made in a laboratory. When the embryos are ready, they are inserted into the surrogate womb, that is, into the womb of the woman who has agreed to be the surrogate for that baby.

The role of the surrogate woman will carry the baby during the approximately 9 months that a pregnancy lasts and give birth. Well at that time, after delivery, the baby is handed over to its real parents and at this moment its function ends.

Before continuing, you should know that the embryo that is implanted in the pregnant woman is created by the future parents of that baby; this means that both the eggs and the sperm used belong to the future parents and, in the event that any of them cannot be provided, it is decided to use eggs or sperm from a donor.

It is true that in some countries it was allowed to use the ovules of the woman in charge of the pregnancy, But many laws stopped allowing it because of the link that could be created between women and men. baby.

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The acceptance of surrogacy in our society

It is precisely because of this bond that, after all, motherhood can generate, regardless of whether it is a womb of rent and not from her real mother, who signs a surrogacy contract with the woman who has agreed to rent her womb, in order to guarantee the right of the future parents to the baby.

But it is precisely for this reason, the bond that is formed between the pregnant woman and the baby, that the surrogacy is not accepted or legal in all countries, and it has become a source of controversy.

Those who support surrogacy consider that it is a reproductive right for those who have not been able to have children of their own and that the fact that a woman wants to rent her womb is part of her individual freedom. On the other side are his opponents, who see it as a form of exploitation, since it is generally low-income women who agree to be part of this method.

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There are different types of surrogacy

In any case, you should know that there is two factors by which we can classify in types of surrogacy. The first factor has to do with the origin of the ovules so that it is a partial or gestational surrogacy; The second factor has to do with financial compensation, making surrogacy commercial or altruistic.

1. Partial or traditional surrogacy

As we mentioned, this type of surrogacy It has to do with the origin of the ovums. In this case, it is the same woman who offers her womb to gestate the embryo who also provides the ovum, which would be her biological mother.

In this sense, it is not necessary to do an in vitro fertilization, but an artificial insemination is enough to include the sperm of the future father. This type of surrogacy is increasingly obsolete and less accepted by the laws of different countries, as they are concerned about the bond that is formed between the mother and the baby.

2. Gestational or total surrogacy

In this type of surrogacy the eggs come from the expectant mother or the egg donor, so the process that is done is that of in vitro fertilization so that the embryo that has emerged from the process remains inside the womb of the pregnant woman, who will give birth to the baby and deliver it to her fathers.

3. Commercial surrogacy

In this type of surrogacy we no longer classify by the origin of the eggs but by financial compensation. In this sense, when surrogacy is commercial, a woman rents out her womb and receives payment or financial compensation from the future parents for gestating the embryo and giving birth to the baby.

4. Altruistic surrogacy

In the opposite case, we speak of altruistic surrogacy when the woman who lends her womb to gestate the embryo and give birth to the baby she does not receive any kind of payment or financial compensation for doing so. Although it is not the most common of cases, we see it when, for example, a woman offers to carry the child of her brother and her homosexual partner.

In any case, surrogacy is still very expensive regardless of whether it is altruistic, since it must be incur medical expenses for IVF, take care of the woman who has lent her womb, and give birth to the baby.

There are those who think that only millionaires can use this method, but the truth is that many couples and individuals turn to monetary loans to pay for the processbecause they see their baby as the best investment of their life.

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