Global Surrogacy Agency Accused of Putting Women at Risk With ‘Unethical’ Medical Procedures

Shanti Das & Simon Bowers & Malia Politzer | The Guardian | December 18, 2022

UK surrogacy laws require intended parents to apply to become legal parents, which can take up to a year to be finalized. In the meantime, intended parents have no legal rights to the child, including the ability to make decisions  in the case of medical emergencies.

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Parents Who Use Surrogate Waiting Up to a Year to Become Legal Guardians

Maya Oppenheim | Independent | November 27, 2022

UK surrogacy laws require intended parents to apply to become legal parents, which can take up to a year to be finalized. In the meantime, intended parents have no legal rights to the child, including the ability to make decisions  in the case of medical emergencies.

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Why So Many More Women Are Volunteering to be Surrogates

Maya Oppenheim  | Independent | November 27, 2022

2021 brought a sharp increase in the number of women in the UK volunteering to be surrogates. Factors contributing to the uptick include increasing social acceptability of surrogacy and desire to support LGBTQ families. 

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Tinder-style App Lets Hopeful Partners Swipe to Find a Surrogate Mother by Matching Users ‘With the Right People’

Jim Norton | Daily Mail | July 12, 2022

A new, Tinder-style app in the UK will use Artificial Intelligence to match intended parents to potential surrogates according to selected characteristics.

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UK Fertility Watchdog Could Recommend Scrapping Donor Anonymity Law

Hannah Devlin | The Guardian | May 20, 2022

Due to the rapid rise of consumer genetic testing, the UK’s HFEA is considering removing the anonymity period for sperm and egg donors. This would allow contact between donors, donor-conceived people, and their genetic parents, but first the change requires careful consideration by all parties.

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‘Deceptive’ Marketing and Hidden Costs: The Truth About IVF and Egg Freezing

Natalie Morris | Metro.co.uk | May 13, 2022

Waiting times for nationally-provided fertility treatment in the UK grew from 6 to 15 months after the pandemic. Consequently, the demand for private alternatives grew, which created a competitive marketplace with some clinics turning to deceptive marketing techniques.

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Couple Face Belarus Prison and Loss of Surrogate Child Amid UK Visa Delays

Matthew Weaver | The Guardian | May 10, 2022

A couple intending to enter into a surrogacy arrangement in Belarus is facing imprisonment because their travel visa is going to expire, but they cannot leave the country because the wife’s passport is stuck in an administrative backlog in the UK. 

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‘Surrogacy is Absolutely What I Want to Do’

Jo Deahl | BBC News | September 22, 2021

Current law in the United Kingdom states that the surrogate is the legal mother when the child is born, and that legal parentage must be transferred through a parental order. Because the law also outlaws surrogacy advertisements, intended parents have turned to social media to find surrogacy matches, especially since non-profit organizations have long waiting lists. Both government officials and those who have started families through surrogacy agree that UK surrogacy law needs to be updated.

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The Surrogacy Pathway: Surrogacy and The Legal Process For Intended Parents and Surrogates in England and Wales

Gov.UK | July 23, 2021

This guidance document outlines the surrogacy process in England and Wales and includes resources for choosing a surrogacy organization, writing a surrogacy agreement, and transferring parental rights. The document also discusses legal guidance, medical testing and genetic screening, and psychological counseling for intended parents and surrogates. 

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Surrogacy Law Change: The UK Needs to Look Across The Pond

Zaina Mahmoud | BioNews | June 28, 2021

Current law in the UK automatically assigns legal motherhood to the surrogate based on gestation. To transfer legal parenthood to the intended parents, at least one parent must be a UK resident and genetically related to the baby. This commentary proposes that future UK surrogacy law reforms follow the legislation in Colorado, USA, which regulates both genetic and gestational surrogacy, requires medical screening of all parties, and recognizes non-traditional family forms.

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