Wombs for Rent

Happy New Year! (A day late... and hoping this year will be better than the last...)

I read an article last week about women in India who are serving as surrogate mothers... they are impregnated in-vitro with the egg and sperm of couples unable to conceive on their own. In return, they are cared for during the pregnancy and delivery, and get paid more than what they would normally earn in 15 years. The doctor working in the clinic that matches infertile couples with local women defends her work as being mutually beneficial for both parties: "There is this one woman who desperately needs a baby and cannot have her own child without the help of a surrogate. And at the other end there is this woman who badly wants to help her (own) family. If this female wants to help the other one ... why not allow that? ... It's not for any bad cause. They're helping one another to have a new life in this world."

While this concept of "wombs for rent" is legal in India, that doesn't mean it's right. Women shouldn't be exploited like that, not to mention the risks involved. The article talks about all the success stories, but fails to mention the times when things went awry (and I'm sure there were). I understand couples want to have a child of their own, but what is wrong with adopting? There are so many unwanted children out there who needs a loving home and family... why not have one of those be your own?