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Gestational Surrogacy, the Pope, and Needs for Regulations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2025

Robert Klitzman
Robert Klitzman*
Affiliation:
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mailman School of Public Health and Masters of Bioethics Program, https://ror.org/01esghr10Columbia University, New York, United States
*
Email: rlk2@cumc.columbia.edu
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Abstract

As surrogacy grows, many states and countries are enacting or considering relevant regulations, while others oppose it. Ethical, legal and policy questions arise: how to balance the rights of various kinds of parents (e.g., heterosexual and same-sex couples and single individuals) against the rights and well-being of surrogates. Concerns include risks of exploitation, autonomy, benefits of enabling prospective parents to create loving families, and mitigating possible harms through regulations. Though a few instances of abuse have been reported in developing countries, these do not appear to have occurred in developed countries, where robust regulations exist. The limited data available on surrogates in general (i.e., including traditional and non-commercial surrogacy) do not suggest exploitation or trafficking. In 2021, New York State enacted robust regulations allowing commercial surrogacy. Subsequent competing bills have sought to loosen or enhance certain restrictions. These regulations may be a model for commercial surrogacy regulations elsewhere, but certain ethical, legal and policy questions remain (e.g., where to draw the line to prevent trafficking). Additional data and exploration of these challenges are crucial

Keywords

assisted reproductive technologiesethicspolicysurrogacyreligion

Information

Type
Independent Articles
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , First View , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics

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