Literature Analysis of Surrogacy - Essay Example

SURROGACY Inserts His/ Her Inserts Grade Inserts Inserts Here (Day, Month, Year) Surrogacy Haughey (2005: 80) defines surrogacy as the event where a woman bears a baby through pregnancy for another woman or a couple who is unable to have offsprings of their own due to problems connected to the female’s fertility. I have observed that, in the modern society, most couples are involuntarily childlessly. As a result, surrogacy has become a general practice in the modern society. However, the subject of surrogacy has elicited mixed reactions among people questioning its authenticity and legitimacy in the society. This paper will develop gender study based on representative, descriptive and theoretical studies that surround surrogacy. Haughey, K., 2005. Ethical Issues in Reproductive Technology. Journal in Ethics Forum, 2 (1) pp.80-88. Haughey’s studies develop theoretically and descriptive analysis of gender selection through surrogacy. According to the author, medical methods used in surrogacy have made it able for prospective parents to propose the preferred sex of their children. In addition, people have developed appealing hypothesis to explain an aspect of sex selection. One of the theoretical hypotheses is concerned with creating a “balance” in families. Haughey (2005: 85) provides a descriptive study on how surrogacy technology provides couples with a chance to choose sperms that fertilise eggs; hence determining the sex of the offspring. The discussion above lays a scientific foundation regarding the determination of offspring’s sexual features through the selection of sperms to be used for fertilization. Gender balancing eradicates the domination of one gender of children in the family unit by deciding which sexes should be included. In addition, some families may use sex selection to replace or rebuild the family after the death of a child. It is also evident that sex selection occurs when the foetus is selected based on gender, social or medical reasons before it is implanted into the womb. In addition, it is important to note that sex selection also occurs when the foetus is aborted based on gender. Stacey, M. 1988. The Sociology of Health and Healing. Routledge: London. Stacey develops theoretically and descriptive hypothesis to that link gender selection in surrogacy and medical reasons. According to the author, couples prefer to point out the desired gender of their children to avoid gender specific genetic and chromosomal disorders. Surrogacy also offers a ground where embryos are screened for genetic diseases and those that are found safe implanted into the mothers’ womb. The descriptive argument presented is that sex selection prevents people from having children with sex-linked diseases such as Duchene’s muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia or haemophilia (Stacey 1988: 233). According to the argument, sons born of families with strong histories of genetically acquires disorders are more prone to contracting the conditions than daughters because females contain two X chromosomes whereas males contain an X and Y chromosomes. Therefore, these medical technologies can be purposeful because they can modify ‘defective’ genes to cure genetic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the medical methods ensure that children produced are not only free from the disorder, but could donate also donate tissue to an existing sibling with a genetically acquired condition.The child could also be used as an existing transplant to its siblings as well as to help other to be treated individuals. Advocates of surrogacy point out that genetic testing conducted during sex selection helps to avoid and cure curative and non-curative illnesses. Oakley, A.1993. Essays on Women, Medicine and Health. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh Stanworth, M. 1990. “Birth Pangs: Conceptive technologies and the threat to motherhood” in Hirsch, M. & Fox Keller, E. (eds) Conflicts in Feminism. New York: Routledge. Stanworth, M. 1987. Reproductive Technologies. Gender, motherhood and medicine. Cambridge: Polity Press. Oakley and Stanworth develop theoretical and representative ideologies at how feminists respond to the subject of surrogacy. Theoretical arguments suggest that women present liberal arguments in the search for their freedom and the choice for self-determination. On the other hand, Oakley (1993: 426), feminists’ arguments suggest that surrogacy nations should legitimize surrogacy and eliminate contracts that limit the capacity of women to be treated as subjects of their own property. Therefore, feminists propagate that women have the right to enter into contracts for their pain and labour to other means and ways. According to Stanworth (1987: 162), feminists’ representative regard prohibition of surrogacy suggests that, elimination of the practice violates women’s self-determination and infringe their rights to procreate. These views are based on the reservation of surrogacy laws that emphasize on the values of the liberal consent in surrogacy. A number of feminists have questioned the relational autonomy and social agency of the practice claiming that surrogacy increases problems that arise from individualistic understanding of human society in terms of rights, self-determination, and choice (Oakley 1993: 221-42; Stanworth 1990: 287-90). As a result, people will start seeing others as separate and independent agents. In addition, the relationship between parents and their infants is non dependent. Feminists against the practice of surrogacy are heavily concerned with the creation of human separateness arising from sustained relationships. EWTN.com, 2001. Career Women Hiring Surrogate Moms For Convenience. EWTN Illegitimacy of Surrogacy and Misrepresentation of Gender A news article from the Global Catholic Television Network offer representative ideologies about the practice of surrogacy. Reports from the news article, reveal that the Catholic Church does not support surrogacy and condemns surrogate mothers due to the vitro methods used and the surrogacy aspect itself. The Church heavily denounces the legitimacy of surrogacy basing reasons on the rejection of heterologous artificial fertilization that is contrary to the unity of marriage and procreation of human beings EWTN.com, 2001 para.4). From the news article, it is evident that activists against sex selection point out towards significant problems in the society that would be caused by society and families characterised of a dominant gender. The knowledge in science that enable human beings to; ‘create’ and ‘design’ their ‘own children’ signifies the ability to play God. As a result, there are high chances that geneticists will endeavour to ‘advance’ the human gene by creating classes in th society characterised of people with inherited illnesses and disabilities and eliminate undesirables. From the discussion above, it is true that the surrogacy endeavours to fulfil the desires of adults but not the needs of the child. Johnson, R. n.d. Before Gay Men Choose Surrogacy Through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayparentingadoption/a/surrogacy.htm An article by Jonhson presents gay representative and descriptive ideologies about surrogacy. From the article, it is evident that gay men choose surrogacy over adoption as surrogacy through in vitro fertilization (IVF) offers a ‘practical’ solution for gay couples over adoption (Johnson n.d.: para 2-5). In addition, unlike adoption where couples extend their family by providing home for a child, surrogacy offers a solution whereby a partner can be biologically connected to a child. From the discussion above, surrogacy and gay parenting is regarded normal and right for individuals suffering from sexual orientation or other gender and fertility related issues. In addition, assisted production is not regarded as an unhealthy practice but rather a method that should be accessed by those willing to have children and care for them. PrivateHealthcareUK. n.d. What is the legal position? An online publication by PrivateHealthcareUK offers its representative position about the legality of surrogacy. According to the publication, the law does not prohibit surrogacy, but rather its legality is tested when individuals or agencies use surrogacy for commercial purposes. This encompasses the advertisement for the surrogate mother by couples or the vice versa. From the article, we learn about the existence of volunteer agencies that offer information and support individuals interested in surrogacy services. According to the publication, surrogacy through In Vitro Fertilization is licensed by HFEA. According to the publication, surrogate mothers are bound by the law to register the baby through normal ways, and the father is as well expected to be registered as the father until a court order offers a re-registration. In addition, the parents to be must be genetically related to the child, consent to the court order not earlier than six months after birth of the child, married to each other, and not have paid money or other expenses. The child must be living with the surrogate parents who are to be domiciled in the UK. Conclusion In conclusion, while surrogacy procedures should be carried out for medical reasons, children should be accepted despite their physical or sexual identities. So far, the study has analysed diverse ideologies for and against the legitimacy of surrogacy and gender selection. From the reactions, it is apparent that while surrogacy procedures could be carried out for medical reasons, the rights of children should be recognised and accepted despite their physical and/or sexual identities and appearances. It is also evident that numerous medical methods carried out in the name of surrogacy can be used to prevent medical conditions in an individual’s offspring. However, devoid of authoritative rules, these technologies can be misused for societal reasons. The perspectives presented by the debaters send a notion that, in the future, science will be running ahead of moral regulations and values. Therefore, the society should learn to adapt to in-coming changes brought about by these technologies as time elapses. Bibliography EWTN.com, 2001. Career Women Hiring Surrogate Moms For Convenience. EWTN. Available at: (Accessed 26 March 2014) Haughey, K., 2005. Ethical Issues in Reproductive Technology. Journal in Ethics Forum, 2 (1) pp.80-88. Johnson, R. (n.d.). Before Gay Men Choose Surrogacy Through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Available at: (Accessed 26 March 2014) Oakley, A.1993. Essays on Women, Medicine and Health. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh PrivateHealthcareUK. n.d. What is the legal position? Available at: http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/hospitaltreatment/find-a-treatment/infertility-treatment/infertility-treatment-guide/infertility-treatments/surrogacy/legal-issues/ (Accessed 26 March 2014) Stacey, M. 1988. The Sociology of Health and Healing. Routledge: London. Stanworth, M. 1990. “Birth Pangs: Conceptive technologies and the threat to motherhood” in Hirsch, M. & Fox Keller, E. (eds) Conflicts in Feminism. New York: Routledge. Stanworth, M. 1987. Reproductive Technologies. Gender, motherhood and medicine. Cambridge: Polity Press. Read More