Fertility SOURCE Companies is pleased to announce the newest addition to The SOURCE Forum blog, WonderWomb.
A three-time surrogate mother herself, WonderWomb is a highly dedicated and compassionate individual whose combined personal and professional experience uniquely qualify her to respond to your surrogacy questions and comments. With over twelve years of experience, she has assisted over two-hundred families realize their dreams of parenthood.
Please join us in welcoming WonderWomb to The SOURCE Forum family!
Showing posts with label SOURCE companies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SOURCE companies. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Surrogate Baby at Center of Legal Tussle
Written by Steve Masler, CEO of Fertility SOURCE Companies
Oprah may be willing to dedicate an entire one hour TV show to surrogacy in India and to actually give it at least her tacit blessing, but lets be realistic, how much money has to be saved by Intended Parents to make it worth the potential complications?
A Japanese couple got divorced in the midst of a surrogacy process in India. The genetic mother rejected the child. So, you think that the father got the child? Think again. According to Indian law, the father has to legally adopt the child. But, that process takes a long time. The child's grandmother (the father's mother) has temporary custody but her travel visa expires in three months and after that the child's future is uncertain. The story may ultimately have a happy ending, but even if it does, the stress and cost for the family must be enormous. The child's father is an Orthopedic Surgeon. Was he really making a wise move pursuing the surrogacy process in India?
In fact, the rise in the number of foreigners arriving in India to search for surrogate mothers has prompted the Indian authorities to consider strict regulations to protect the rights of surrogate mothers and children born to them.
As often is the case, buyer beware, but the potential morass would be Intended Parents are facing with Indian surrogacy cases may be beyond the pale.
Click on the link below to see the recap of this article:
Surrogate baby at centre of legal tussle
Oprah may be willing to dedicate an entire one hour TV show to surrogacy in India and to actually give it at least her tacit blessing, but lets be realistic, how much money has to be saved by Intended Parents to make it worth the potential complications?
A Japanese couple got divorced in the midst of a surrogacy process in India. The genetic mother rejected the child. So, you think that the father got the child? Think again. According to Indian law, the father has to legally adopt the child. But, that process takes a long time. The child's grandmother (the father's mother) has temporary custody but her travel visa expires in three months and after that the child's future is uncertain. The story may ultimately have a happy ending, but even if it does, the stress and cost for the family must be enormous. The child's father is an Orthopedic Surgeon. Was he really making a wise move pursuing the surrogacy process in India?
In fact, the rise in the number of foreigners arriving in India to search for surrogate mothers has prompted the Indian authorities to consider strict regulations to protect the rights of surrogate mothers and children born to them.
As often is the case, buyer beware, but the potential morass would be Intended Parents are facing with Indian surrogacy cases may be beyond the pale.
Click on the link below to see the recap of this article:
Surrogate baby at centre of legal tussle
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Friday, August 8, 2008
Baby Business Boom
Written by Steve Masler, CEO of Fertility SOURCE Companies
The following article takes a view that desire of young women to donate eggs is related to economic conditions. Baby Business Boom
The article is one of a genre that jumps on a recurrent theme about egg donation, i.e. the subject of incentives provided to young women to encourage them to donate eggs in return for fees for the donors' time, effort and suffering. No doubt, compensation is some degree of incentive for women to donate eggs. Further, the women who donate are undoubtedly young. However, the media bias appears to be towards painting the motivations as strictly monetary and toward suggesting that it is college age women who are doing the donating. The first assumption about the motivation being strictly monetary is far from accurate; the second assumption that donors are generally college aged is inaccurate.
Women who donate repeatedly indicate that though they appreciate the compensation, they would not be donating their eggs were it not for the additional satisfaction of helping someone create a life. Surely no professional is criticized for earning money while carrying out an occupation that they find rewarding and one that provides benefits to recipients. For example, what about physicians themselves, who are generally considered to be well rewarded economically and who usually get much satisfaction out of helping others in addition to enjoying the monetary benefits of their work?
Would-be moralists join the battle with the assumption that egg donors are ill informed regarding risks and concerns about egg donation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone writing a media article on the subject should go through the egg donation process with its multiple disclosures and consents provided to prospective egg donors. Additionally, prospective donors are exposed to countless relevant articles on the web. The assumption that donors are college age, naive young women is also groundless. College age women under the age of 21 are not acceptable as egg donors. Egg donors are generally between 21 and 29 years old and highly educated. Further, a large percentage of egg donations are by donors who have donated previously. It surely can't be said that repeat donors are not informed about egg donation.
There may be no political capital in saying good things about egg donation, but writers should try to write a balanced piece on the subject. 22,000 Intended Parents and egg donors in 2007 thought it was a good idea to give the process a try and if there are any horror stories emerging from those 22,000 cycles, I for one have not heard them.
The following article takes a view that desire of young women to donate eggs is related to economic conditions. Baby Business Boom
The article is one of a genre that jumps on a recurrent theme about egg donation, i.e. the subject of incentives provided to young women to encourage them to donate eggs in return for fees for the donors' time, effort and suffering. No doubt, compensation is some degree of incentive for women to donate eggs. Further, the women who donate are undoubtedly young. However, the media bias appears to be towards painting the motivations as strictly monetary and toward suggesting that it is college age women who are doing the donating. The first assumption about the motivation being strictly monetary is far from accurate; the second assumption that donors are generally college aged is inaccurate.
Women who donate repeatedly indicate that though they appreciate the compensation, they would not be donating their eggs were it not for the additional satisfaction of helping someone create a life. Surely no professional is criticized for earning money while carrying out an occupation that they find rewarding and one that provides benefits to recipients. For example, what about physicians themselves, who are generally considered to be well rewarded economically and who usually get much satisfaction out of helping others in addition to enjoying the monetary benefits of their work?
Would-be moralists join the battle with the assumption that egg donors are ill informed regarding risks and concerns about egg donation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone writing a media article on the subject should go through the egg donation process with its multiple disclosures and consents provided to prospective egg donors. Additionally, prospective donors are exposed to countless relevant articles on the web. The assumption that donors are college age, naive young women is also groundless. College age women under the age of 21 are not acceptable as egg donors. Egg donors are generally between 21 and 29 years old and highly educated. Further, a large percentage of egg donations are by donors who have donated previously. It surely can't be said that repeat donors are not informed about egg donation.
There may be no political capital in saying good things about egg donation, but writers should try to write a balanced piece on the subject. 22,000 Intended Parents and egg donors in 2007 thought it was a good idea to give the process a try and if there are any horror stories emerging from those 22,000 cycles, I for one have not heard them.
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Monday, August 4, 2008
American Attitudes Towards Surrogacy
Written by Steve Masler, CEO of Fertility SOURCE Companies
I recently read an article on surrogacy that discussed international attitudes toward the subject, particularly from the standpoint of the British, as viewed by Americans. The British, as it may be well known, are opposed to surrogacy, as are many other countries of the world. In the United States, attitudes are mixed, with some states effectively broadly permitting it and other states limiting it or outright prohibiting it. The article that I read expressed surprise that the British are almost schizophrenic in that they are so progressive toward reproductive research, yet against something as seemingly basic as surrogacy. Britain of course was the home of the first IVF baby, Louise K. Brown.
In looking at the British attitude toward surrogacy and even at those of the states in the US who are opposed, it would seem that the overriding theme is one of tradition, i.e. she who carries is called mother (mum in Britain). However, even to traditionalists, it seems to be backward thinking that says that she who can't carry a child to term must not therefore be able to develop an offspring of her own. It is pushing the point to an extreme to block a very traditional husband and wife from having children of their own.
Ironically enough, the foreign attitudes about surrogacy have not stopped the process among nationals of the various countries. Those individuals have simply bought themselves tickets for the United States, with its devalued dollar, and found fertility clinics and surrogates who are more than glad to help them become proud parents.
I recently read an article on surrogacy that discussed international attitudes toward the subject, particularly from the standpoint of the British, as viewed by Americans. The British, as it may be well known, are opposed to surrogacy, as are many other countries of the world. In the United States, attitudes are mixed, with some states effectively broadly permitting it and other states limiting it or outright prohibiting it. The article that I read expressed surprise that the British are almost schizophrenic in that they are so progressive toward reproductive research, yet against something as seemingly basic as surrogacy. Britain of course was the home of the first IVF baby, Louise K. Brown.
In looking at the British attitude toward surrogacy and even at those of the states in the US who are opposed, it would seem that the overriding theme is one of tradition, i.e. she who carries is called mother (mum in Britain). However, even to traditionalists, it seems to be backward thinking that says that she who can't carry a child to term must not therefore be able to develop an offspring of her own. It is pushing the point to an extreme to block a very traditional husband and wife from having children of their own.
Ironically enough, the foreign attitudes about surrogacy have not stopped the process among nationals of the various countries. Those individuals have simply bought themselves tickets for the United States, with its devalued dollar, and found fertility clinics and surrogates who are more than glad to help them become proud parents.
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Monday, July 28, 2008
Tough Economy Tightens Surrogacy Market
Written by Steve Masler, CEO of Fertility SOURCE Companies
Oprah Winfrey recently featured surrogacy costs on an hour-long version of her highly popular TV program. During the program, Oprah introduced a couple pursuing surrogacy via a surrogate in India. She went on to explore the lives and situations of several surrogates in India and the surrogacy process.
Oprah was making the point that surrogacy costs of $70,000-$80,000 per case in the United States has driven many would-be parents needing surrogacy to search out lower cost alternatives. She stated a cost of $12,000 per case in India, seemingly including $6,000 for the surrogate (as compared to about $25,000+ for the surrogate in the United States).
Notwithstanding the considerable press that surrogacy in India has been receiving of late, including the above mentioned Oprah show, there are many questions that should be raised before Intended Parents go off to India in search of a low cost solution as follows:
Oprah Winfrey recently featured surrogacy costs on an hour-long version of her highly popular TV program. During the program, Oprah introduced a couple pursuing surrogacy via a surrogate in India. She went on to explore the lives and situations of several surrogates in India and the surrogacy process.
Oprah was making the point that surrogacy costs of $70,000-$80,000 per case in the United States has driven many would-be parents needing surrogacy to search out lower cost alternatives. She stated a cost of $12,000 per case in India, seemingly including $6,000 for the surrogate (as compared to about $25,000+ for the surrogate in the United States).
Notwithstanding the considerable press that surrogacy in India has been receiving of late, including the above mentioned Oprah show, there are many questions that should be raised before Intended Parents go off to India in search of a low cost solution as follows:
- Can the Intended Parents afford the time and cost to spend extensive time in India, especially in potentially less than highly desirable conditions?
- There may very well be prospective health issues related to pursuit of a surrogate in India, as opposed to in the United States
- Can the legal issues be as clear-cut in India as in the United States regarding the all important matter of parentage and other related concerns?
- The Ob/Gyn system in India is not likely to be up to the standards of the United States regarding medical treatment of the surrogate during pregnancy and birth.
- There are likely to be some or perhaps extensive language issues in India, making it difficult to communicate among the parties involved.
In short, those who are serious about having a baby and who can find a way to afford it, are surely much better off pursuing one in the United States, particularly in the states friendly to surrogacy such as California, Texas and Florida. One should not sell short the obvious risks and perhaps some not so obvious risks in the pursuit of an Indian surrogacy alternative.
Please feel free to post your views on this important surrogacy issue.
Click on the link below to see the Oprah recap.
Tough Economy Tightens Surrogacy Market Reproductive Justice and Gender AlterNet
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Welcome!
Welcome to The SOURCE Forum: An Egg Donation and Surrogacy blog! We're excited to launch our first official blog for The Donor SOURCE and the Surrogacy SOURCE at Fertility SOURCE Companies. This is the first of what will be many blog postings on this site.
Our intention is to provide relevant information regarding all things related to egg donation and surrogacy; and to provide some insight to those of you considering being an egg donor, or a surrogate, or considering the use of donor eggs or a gestational carrier. Our purpose is to pass along the latest and most pertinent information on subjects that relate to egg donation and surrogacy.
We hope this blog provides you with a deeper insight into 3rd party reproduction. We're very excited to be out here talking to you. We encourage you to post your thoughts and comments. Once again, welcome to the SOURCE Forum: An Egg Donation and Surrogacy blog. Enjoy!
Our intention is to provide relevant information regarding all things related to egg donation and surrogacy; and to provide some insight to those of you considering being an egg donor, or a surrogate, or considering the use of donor eggs or a gestational carrier. Our purpose is to pass along the latest and most pertinent information on subjects that relate to egg donation and surrogacy.
We hope this blog provides you with a deeper insight into 3rd party reproduction. We're very excited to be out here talking to you. We encourage you to post your thoughts and comments. Once again, welcome to the SOURCE Forum: An Egg Donation and Surrogacy blog. Enjoy!
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