Vice | March 18, 2021
Surrogacy and LGBTQ+ rights both lie in a legally grey area in China. Same sex couples in China who want to have a child sometimes seek surrogates and fertility treatment abroad––which involves prohibitive cost.
International Women’s Day: China Looks at Domestic Violence, Illegal Surrogacy, and Paternity Leave
Phoebe Zhang | South China Morning Post | March 8, 2021
This article shares policy topics about women that will be discussed at Two Sessions, China’s yearly parliamentary meetings held in Beijing. A member of the National People’s Congress proposed a stricter ban on surrogacy and the use of underground and overseas agencies to address the recent commercial boom, especially in light of the scandal of actress Zheng Shuang. The two political parties will also discuss the treatment of children born outside of marriage, single mothers’ lack of access to assistive reproductive technologies, and a hotline to report domestic violence.
Fertility Industry Growth Expected Despite COVID-19 Headwinds
Bianca Facchinei | Newsy | November 27, 2020
This Newsy video highlights the likelihood that the international surrogacy industry will continue to grow despite barriers that have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Fertility clinics have been caring for babies stranded from parents, costs have risen, and parents face barriers obtaining necessary passports and visas. Surrogacy360’s own Emily Galpern weighs in on the matter as a featured expert; she cautions against entering into international surrogacy arrangements amidst the pandemic and observes that the current situation reflects concerns that existed prior to the pandemic.
Danish High Court Rules Against Adopting Mother in Surrogate Case
Helen Jones | CPH Post | November 17, 2020
In Denmark, high court judges decided that a Danish woman does not have the right to adopt twins born to a Ukrainian surrogate in 2013. The judge deemed that her husband is, however, fully recognized as a parent under the eyes of the law because he is genetically related to the children. The mother’s application to be legally recognized as the twins’ adoptive mother was rejected because of the financial transaction with the surrogate; according to the court, “it is absolutely prohibited to grant an adoption permit if anyone involved in the adoption has provided or received payment.”
Kenya: Why Surrogacy in Kenya Is Shrouded in Secrecy
Simon Mburu | AllAfrica | October 31, 2020
This article begins with the personal story of Emily and Hillary Kiptui, a Kenyan couple who experienced nine miscarriages before having a child through surrogacy. The article notes that agencies in Kenya primarily target foreign couples and charge intended parents exorbitant fees. Kenya currently has no regulation of the surrogacy industry; however, a reproductive healthcare bill filled with surrogacy measures is currently in the Kenyan Senate.
Israel’s High Court Rules Against Surrogacy Law Excluding Single Men and Gay Couples
By Netael Bandel, Lee Yaron, and Johnathan Lis | Haaretz | February 28, 2020
For years, LGBTQ rights advocates in Israel have been fighting to broaden surrogacy rights. On February 20th, the High Court of Justice ruled that an existing bill prohibiting single men and gay couples from accessing surrogacy was unconstitutional. As this article explains, the state now has one year to amend the law.
Former Surrogate Mom Responds to New Surrogacy Bill
By Miranda Paige | Dakota News Now | January 30, 2020
Advocates for limiting commercial surrogacy are speaking out in favor of a South Dakota bill that would make the practice a misdemeanor. As this article reports, one primary concern is that “people will take medical risks with their own health and life because they need the money.”
Bill That Would Ban Commercial Surrogacy in SD Passes Through Committee
By Shannon Marvel | Inforum | January 29, 2020
House Bill 1096 would make brokering a surrogacy contract a Class 1 misdemeanor. It would also make any commercial surrogacy contract, whether entered into in South Dakota or any other state, unenforceable and void in South Dakota.
NHS ‘Should Not Pay’ for US Surrogacy After Cancer Misdiagnosis
By Owen Bowcott | The Guardian | December 16, 2019
A woman in the UK has lost her case against a London hospital that, she claims, should compensate her for the costs associated with making commercial surrogacy arrangements in the United States. While the hospital does acknowledge responsibility for the cancer misdiagnosis that led to her infertility, the UK Supreme Court found that payment for commercial surrogacy should not be awarded because commercial surrogacy is not legal in England.
India Poised To Restrict Surrogate Pregnancies – Analysis
By Neeta Lal | EurasiaReview | October 27, 2019
India is poised to pass a bill that will outlaw commercial surrogacy and impose restrictions on altruistic surrogacy that exclude single people and same-sex couples. This comprehensive article breaks down the perspectives offered by both supporters and critics of the bill.