Surrogacy
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On May 11, 2018 Dr. Nivedita Shetty, chief of reproductive medicine, MD(OBG) FRCOG (London) gave a lecture on Commercial Surrogacy at the Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII). Dr. Shetty has more than 14 years of experience in her field, and successfully performed more than 500+ cycles of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). During the lecture Dr. Shetty explained what surrogacy is, the various reasons why women choose surrogacy and the perspective of surrogacy in India. Surrogacy is an agreement where a woman carries a pregnancy for another person, who will become the newborn child’s parents after birthing this method refers to a contract in which a woman carries a pregnancy for another couple. Or as Dr. Shetty mentioned “womb for rent”. I found this lecture to be very motivating as it relates to women’s health and gynecology, which are topics I am focusing on during my time in Mysore.
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Throughout my time in Mysore, I will be exploring more on women’s health specifically human papillomavirus and cervical cancer.
The study on women’s health and gynecology indicate events that are happening globally, being in the medical field setting I want to expand my studies and become a Physician Assistant, is a major ambition of mine. This lecture on surrogacy gives you a different view on the perspective, women’s health leads to various questions about global health in India including psychological aspects. Such as, what types of surrogacy is allowed in India? Does India have the proper means for (IVF) and why India for a surrogate rather than the United States? There are two methods to surrogacy, traditional and gestational surrogacy, where traditional is not allowed and gestational is in India. Gestational surrogacy is the process in which the embryo is taken and fertilized via in vitro fertilization, the 3-5-day baby is placed into the uterus of the surrogate mother. In traditional surrogacy, the sperm is being placed to impregnate the surrogate mother while the eggs as well as the uterus are being borrowed to have the baby. India is very well established enough to perform safe and successful (IVF) procedures, the amount of doctors that are being produced from India is constantly growing. In India alone, there is 10-15% of married couples who are affected by infertility, nearly 27.5 million couples who are seeking treatment (Shah, 2017). Couples from all over the world are interested in going to India for surrogates due to the price ending up being less than one third for the whole procedure if it were done in the United States or United Kingdom (Khan, Rao,2017).
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The demand for surrogates has increased and there is an estimate decline in intercountry adoption by 50% globally (Selman, in press). Although there may be many needs for surrogates there is correspondingly challenges as well. Complications such as multiple pregnancy can occur for women when the in vitro fertilization is performed you want to ensure there will be a pregnancy, so extra eggs are placed in order as an alternative to guarantee an embryo will form. With the demand high for surrogates not just anyone can go to India and buy their way. Ideas, and values that stand within being a proper candidate for one who needs a surrogate is a woman who was born without a uterus, where there are special cases of this. The general women who may need a surrogate are women who have underwent a hysterectomy for a particular reason, such as cancer or having other medical complications. Another scenario are women who can get pregnant but are not able to carry to term and have frequent miscarriages, they also can borrow a uterus under these circumstances. Women who are considered high risk to get pregnant or even have a baby can get their eggs make the baby and place into someone else’s uterus.
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Additionally, being someone’s surrogate is not a simple task, there are several effects that come along with it. Voices of authority that I considered while listening to this lecture were those women who are willing to do such an extraordinary job, because this is a job. Willing to take on the responsibility to grow a baby for someone else. It is a task where you must take care of your body for months on end, providing the proper nutrients and prenatal care not just for you but for this baby you are carrying for another couple. The surrogate’s perspective is just as important I believe because not only is it benefiting the couple she is carrying the baby for, but it is also grants help for the surrogate woman. I think all parties involved have an important voice to be heard since there is such an elaborate procedure in this process. Due to the low economic status in India, surrogate women in India can profit from the whole procedure. Provide better homes and lifestyles for their own families as well as themselves, improved education along with the satisfaction of helping someone else in need.
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There are countless views on surrogacy in general, but ultimately it is giving a gift to someone who is not capable of doing it themselves and that to me is already priceless. I was always open to the idea of surrogacy for women, but this lecture definitely shed a light in a different perspective I have never noticed before. The surrogate’s viewpoint throughout the whole course. Although there are cases were women are being exploited, I still firmly believe it is helping many women who cannot conceive themselves. With my concentration in the medical field and wanting to help others in need, this particular lecture I have learned I want to break those barriers between women’s’ stigma globally. As time progresses I hope the gap between men and women can be equal.
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References:
Khan, M. A., Rao, J. S. (2017). Surrogacy in India: Current Perspectives. International Journal of Medical and Health Research, 3(5), 85-88. Retrieved from http://www.medicalsciencejournal.com/archives/2017/vol3/issue5/3-5-17
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Bromfield, N. F., Rotabi, K. S. (2012). The Decline in Intercountry Adoptions and New Practices of Global Surrogacy. Global Exploitation and Human Rights Concerns, 27(2), 129-141. https://doi-org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1177/0886109912444102
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Shah, D. (2017). Expanding IVF treatment in India: Need of the day. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 10(2), 69-70. doi: 10.4103/jhrs.JHRS_99_17