Surrogacy is a solution that is used these days for people who have fertility problems or do not want to get pregnant for any reason. In fact, couples who are unable to get pregnant for some reason or the woman is unable to grow a fetus in her womb, get help from a third person for this by paying a contractual fee.
Statistics show that about 75% of people who use this method are successful. It is interesting to know that from 1999 to 2013, about 184 thousand babies were born through this procedure. But what is the most important reason for this and what are the rules and conditions? In this article, you can learn everything you need to know about this process.
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What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy means that a person agrees to grow and give birth to another person’s baby in his own body and receives a fee in return. In this situation, a contract is made between the parents and the person who allows their womb, and the person must give custody and guardianship of the baby to the parents after the birth.
In fact, if a woman does not have the ability to get pregnant and cannot grow a baby in her own womb, after the fertilization process, the fertilized egg is placed inside the uterus of a third person and she takes care of the fetus until delivery.
In some situations, it is necessary to use another person’s egg or sperm for pregnancy to form an embryo. In this situation, the process of external fertilization is performed and according to the contract, it is placed in the third person’s body.
Types of surrogacy
It is usually done in two different ways. In the first type, the egg and sperm belonging to one couple are fertilized and then placed in the body of the third person. In this situation, the third person only has to take care of the fertilized egg of a couple. If the man has infertility problems, the donated sperm is used for in vitro fertilization or IVF.
The next method is used when a woman is unable to conceive. In this situation, the person who donates the egg also donates his uterus. In this method, fertilization is done by the intrauterine method or IUI, and the male sperm enters the female body in a laboratory.
The reason for renting the uterus
Many women are not able to get pregnant, or one of the parents may not be able to have a child for any reason. In this situation, the parents place the fertilized egg inside the body of a third person to take care of the embryo instead of them.
The following are the most important uses of this process:
- Diseases and abnormalities of the uterus
- Dangerousness of pregnancy
- Untreatable uterine adhesions
- Sterility
- Failure of infertility treatments
- Not having a uterus
- Severe diabetes
- Ovarian and uterine cancer
- Cystic fibrosis
- Lupus
- Kidney and heart diseases
If you intend to do this, first consult with a gynecologist.
Surrogacy success rate
In general, the success rate of this task depends on various factors. Usually, in the clinic where this operation is performed, the physiological condition of the person in whose womb the embryo is going to grow, along with the health condition of the sperm and eggs of the original parents, have an effect on the success rate of this work. In addition, the method used to perform this work will also be effective on the result of the work.
Stages of surrogacy
In general, surrogacy is done in 5 stages. The steps of this work are mentioned below.
1: Refer to the infertility clinic and institute
In the first step, the couple should go to a clinic that performs in vitro fertilization. Then, in order to do legal work, it is necessary to refer to the infertility institute and decide on the conditions of this process.
2: Choosing surrogacy
After the initial steps are done, it is necessary to determine the donor and egg donor. In this situation, eggs from the egg bank can also be used for pregnancy.
3: Signing the contract
At this stage, a contract is signed between the intended couple and the person who intends to rent his womb. At this stage, it is necessary for the applicant couple and the uterus renter to cooperate with the infertility clinic.
4: Performing medical procedures
After signing the contract, the fertilization process must be done in the test tube. Before embryo transfer, it is necessary for a person who intends to do this to use special medicines to accept the embryo and prepare the uterus.
Then the fertilized egg is injected into the uterus of the intended person. In some situations, it is necessary to do this process for 2 consecutive days to increase the chance of fertility. After 15 days, a pregnancy test will be taken from the person and if the pregnancy is confirmed, the necessary care will be started.
5: The birth of a baby
After pregnancy, the infertility institute supports the intended couple and the person who rented their womb until the birth of the baby. After the birth of the baby, it is necessary for the intended couple to sign documents with the womb renter, and after going through the legal procedure, the baby will be handed over to the applicant.
Surrogacy rules
The laws of this work are different in every country and it is necessary to do this work legally and completely under the supervision of government centers. In general, a person who rents out his womb cannot have any claims regarding the guardianship of the baby and must sign the necessary contracts before taking any action.
On the other hand, before carrying out this process, it is necessary for the person renting the uterus to sign a guarantee of no abortion, availability during pregnancy, compliance with health precautions, and timely delivery of the baby.
Surrogacy conditions
People who rent themselves out must meet certain conditions. For this, it is necessary for the person to be physically and mentally healthy and to be within the appropriate age range for pregnancy. On the other hand, not using drugs and having a healthy lifestyle are considered essential.
The most important conditions are mentioned below:
- Age between 21 and 40 years
- Healthy lifestyle
- History of at least one successful pregnancy
- Passing psychological and medical tests
Is surrogacy dangerous?
The truth is that surrogacy, like any other pregnancy, is subject to problems such as miscarriage and premature birth. On the other hand, the possibility of gestational diabetes, cesarean section, and high blood pressure is more in people who try to allow the uterus.
What is the cost of surrogacy?
The cost of surrogacy is completely negotiable and depends on the agreement of the parties. In the case of renting a uterus, there is no specific and legal amount, and after the agreement of the parties, the specified amount is written in the contract.
What are the rights of the person renting the uterus?
The person who rents the womb only has to raise the baby of another couple in his womb based on a contract, and except for the specified amount, he does not have any rights to the baby, and after giving birth to the baby, he must hand it over to his original parents to give.
What are the conditions for using surrogacy?
In order to use surrogacy, a person must prepare an introduction form from a doctor. Then, testing for the absence of various diseases, validity tests, and normal and doctor-confirmed ultrasounds are also necessary for this process.
How does a surrogate mother get pregnant?
Does a surrogate baby have the mother's DNA?
Is a surrogate baby related to the father?
Do surrogate babies look like parents?
final word
Many couples who are unable to conceive and cannot have children for any reason use this for this purpose. In this situation, sperm and egg are fertilized in a test tube, and then the fertilized egg is placed inside the third person’s uterus.
In this situation, the skills and facilities of the doctor and the clinic that performs the process of fertilization and the entry of the egg inside the body are very important.
