Having a family is something that most people dream of, but what many people don’t consider is the hardships that people face around the world in order to have children. Conceiving a baby is, for many, not as easy as it seems. There are many reasons why couples seek alternate ways of having children. The top 3 reasons for choosing an alternate method are:
1. Infertility of either the man or women
2. Same sex couples
3. Single parents
After trying the standard methods, it may be necessary to seek out alternative ways to conceive or have children. (I do not mention adoption here because another member of our group already went in depth on that option) Here are two of a few options that people have when looking to start of family:
Artificial or Intrauterine Insemination- This is often time the best option for same sex female couples, Single women or couples where the man is infertile. People visit a sperm bank and decide which donor they want to use. The doctor will then inseminate the women using the sperm they selected, and hope that a successful pregnancy will occur. Artificial insemination typically costs between $300 and $500 per attempt. The typical success rate is 10 to 20 percent, so five to ten attempts could be required. However, success can vary widely by individual, age and cause of infertility; some patients never achieve a pregnancy through artificial insemination. (babycenter.com)
Traditional or Gestational Surrogacy- This is often the best option for women who are infertile or unable to carry a baby to term and same sex male couples. The differences between traditional, and the more common gestational surrogate, is that the traditional surrogate uses her own eggs and a gestational surrogate uses donated eggs, and sperm. She is just carrying the baby without being genetically linked to the child. A female third party is evaluated for good health and her ovulation is tracked. At the time of ovulation, the surrogate is inseminated with sperm of the couple’s choice or an embryo is implanted. The surrogate does not have any custody over the child. It may be necessary to research the legality of surrogacy as this varies from state to state. Surrogacy is also extremely costly the cost of using a surrogate can range from $60,000 to $120,000, or even higher. This fee includes preparation, screening tests, necessities for the surrogate, the possible use of donor eggs or sperm, agency fees, and delivery fees.
Article on surrogacy:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/magazine/30Surrogate-t.html?pagewanted=all
This link is to an award winning documentary called Google Baby which is about the outsourcing of surrogacy to India and the types of couples that use this service:
Sources:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_fertility-treatment-artificial-insemination-iui_4092.bc?page=2
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/infertility/iui.html
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/infertility/iui.html
Katlyn Benson
Elena Rivera
Ronni Greenberg
Anjali Lappin
Which one of these options are more common in the United States? I know it probably depends on the situation of the parents but I am interested to know which one is more common today.
ReplyDeleteSarah DelTorto
I feel like artificial insemination is the more popular one, but I could be wrong. I think it's popular because it usually works, sometimes it doesn't. but I think it has more of a chance of working than not. I know surrogacy is popular too, but I don't know that it's as popular as artificial insemination. But yeah I think it depends on the families personal opinion on which way they want to go.
ReplyDelete-Anjali Lappin
I think the point about how the surrogate does not have any custody over the child is very interesting. I do not think that I have ever thought about that but I would assume that that thought runs through the minds of people that are looking into Traditional or Gestational Surrogacy. There are just so many different things that parents think about while going through these processes.
ReplyDeleteAllie Tenore
I also found that interesting! It is odd to think that someone can give birth to a child and not feel any connection, or rather legally have any connection to the child. Starting a family can happen in so many ways and there is so much to consider!
Delete-Alexandria Cruz
I do recall while serving in the military that is wasn't that uncommon for a civilian spouse of a military member to become a surrogate mother for money. This was largely due to the low pay in the military. It was also easier for a spouse to be a surrogate while her husband was on deployment. Not that they were keeping it a secret, only because it made sense and jobs for military wives were hard to gain. Money was the motivator. I thought that it was nobel and probably a little desperate in some cases.-Julia M.
ReplyDeleteAre there any dangers to anybody health in any of these options?
ReplyDeleteI assume that these industurys are privitised, how are they regulated, and what are other pros and or cons to this?
As service providers, what sort of ethical concerns come with the work? What sort of ethical concerns are not included, but maybe should be?
As customers, is the ability to pay the fee enough to receive these kinds of services, or is screening akin to that of adoption a part of the process?