Ellen Trachman | Above the Law | February 9, 2022
A gay couple welcomed a surrogate-born child in California, but were unable to register the child under both of their names back in Denmark, as parenthood cannot be shared there between two men. Though Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, they now need to extend surrogacy regulations to include same-sex male parents as well.
Aastha Atray Banan | Mid-Day | February 6, 2022
India recently passed new Surrogacy and ART Acts, banning commercial surrogacy and germline cell sales, respectively. In this interview, author Pinki Virani acknowledges that the acts will promote a more regulated, less money-oriented fertility industry by eliminating the sale-purchase aspect of sperm and eggs and putting power in the hands of surrogates. On the other hand, Virani believes that there are still risks with IVF and third-party reproduction due to the complexity of sourcing sex cells, fertilization, implantation, and birth. In particular, she urges patients to undergo thorough screening processes to reduce the risk of genetic siblings unknowingly becoming a couple.
Ailbhe Conneely | RTÉ News | January 21, 2022
Ireland established a special joint Oireachtas committee to discuss and regulate international surrogacy, especially regarding the rights and interest of the children in order to prevent child trafficking. Legislation suggested by the committee will be integrated into the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill.
Lahac Harkov | The Jerusalem Post | January 17, 2022
Israel’s Foreign Ministry workers stopped registering babies born to surrogates overseas (mostly the United States, Georgia, and Colombia) to protest pay cuts and deteriorating work conditions. Though the Foreign Ministry has faced numerous budget cuts, the workload of foreign consular services employees has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a series of unreasonable events and requests, such as elimination of overtime pay and required availability 24 hours a day, the union is protesting and calling for better treatment.
Stuart Winer and TOI Staff | Times of Israel | January 4, 2022
Same-sex couples, single men, and transgender people can now become parents through surrogacy, an option previously denied to them in Israel. This ruling ends a decade-long legal battle that started with a petition filed by a gay couple in 2010. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz also reassured prospective surrogates that the government is committed to protecting their rights and health.
Sarah Pritchard | BioNews | December 13, 2021
The Indian Parliament approved legislation to better regulate fertility and surrogacy practices in the country and protect the health of women involved. The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2021 aims to maintain a standard of infrastructure, equipment, and personnel at fertility clinics. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2020 proposes increased health insurance coverage to 36 months, prohibits paid surrogacy, and allows divorced or widowed women to have children through surrogacy. Criticism of the bills highlight the lack of inclusion of single parents and LGBTQ+ communities.
Ommcomm News | November 27, 2021
The Portuguese Parliament approved a surrogacy law in response to a request from the Constitutional Court. The surrogate, who must have given birth to her own child before, can keep the surrogate-born child up until the time of registration (max 20 days post-birth).
James Moore | BioNews | November 22, 2021
Starting in July 2022, same-sex couples in Switzerland will be able to marry and access the same assisted reproduction, adoption, and fertility services as heterosexual couples. Surrogacy and egg donation remain illegal, so families desiring these services would only have access by traveling abroad.
David Dodge | Newsweek | November 22, 2021
The United States lacks a paid parental leave policy, which disproportionately affects queer men, because companies offering maternity leave policies often exclude or provide lesser benefits to the non-birthing partner. Laws must be updated to include all family structures and break the heteronormative expectation that the responsibility of childcare fall solely on women. While Congress debates legislation for national paid parental leave policies, independent businesses like Ikea and Target implemented their own all-inclusive paid leave policies.
Stephen D’Angelo | Cornell Chronicle | November 12, 2021
According to a new study from Cornell and Virginia Tech, the political left and right both consider bodily markets morally wrong, but for different reasons. Services and products in these markets include sex work, commercial surrogacy, and trade of kidneys, plasma, and reproductive cells. Through five studies, the researchers found that liberals believe commercializing human bodies can harm vulnerable communities and exacerbate social inequalities, while conservatives believe commercialization corrupts the sanctity of the human body and reduces it to a commodity. Understanding the differences can help lawmakers design policies on bodily markets that their constituents might support.
