Australia’s surrogacy laws encourage parents to look overseas. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - a popular surrogacy destination - shows the flaws of this approach.
The law needs to be more realistic about surrogacy services and payment, and reflect what is actually happening between couples and surrogates.
A Canadian politician has announced he plans to introduce a private member’s bill to remove the legal prohibitions on payments to surrogate mothers and to sperm and egg donors.
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There are sound ethical reasons behind Canada’s decision to ban payment to surrogate mothers and sperm and egg donors in 2004. A new push to remove the restrictions ignores the risks.
Egg donors, sperm donors and surrogates are critical participants and patients in the use of reproductive technologies - so why are their rights and heath repeatedly overlooked?
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Health Canada is drafting important regulations for assisted reproductive technologies. Initial documents treat egg donors and surrogates as little more than spare parts and walking wombs.
A proposed new law is set to allow surrogate parents in South Africa to also take leave to care for their babies.
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South African law requires surrogate mothers to hand infants to their legal parents without undue delay. But it doesn’t provide leave for these parents to care for their infants. That is set to change.
The case of baby Gammy, the twin who was left behind, has cast a harsh light on the commercial surrogacy trade.
EPA/Rungroj Yongrit
The practice of reproductive surrogacy is in the news in Australia because of the story of a Thai child, Gammy, a twin who was apparently abandoned by the buyers because he was sick. They took his healthy…
Safeguards to protect women and children should not be eroded.
Image from shutterstock.com
For singles and couples who can’t naturally conceive and carry a baby to term, surrogacy is sometimes considered an option to have a child. Current laws across Australia permit “altruistic” surrogacy which…
Many couples have a strong desire for a biologically-related child and will go to great lengths to have one.
Robert Kimberly
Chief Federal Court Magistrate John Pascoe’s call for amending Australian state legislation to allow commercial surrogacy, subject to statutory controls, has much to commend it. The aim of the legislation…
Most of us know little about the experiences of people who are drawn to the multimillion dollar surrogacy industry.
Mike Reys
Assisted reproductive technology has grown significantly in Australia as in other countries and hundreds of thousands of children have now been born because of it around the world. Most of us know people…