Surrogacy is a family building option for couples who cannot successfully carry a pregnancy. They ask another woman to carry a pregnancy for them. There are broadly two types of Surrogacy-
Gestational Surrogacy
A gestational surrogate is a woman who is able and agrees to carry a pregnancy for another person. The intended mother provides her genetic material via her egg (or occasionally from an egg donor), the intended father provides his sperm (or a sperm donor), and through in vitro fertilization, an embryo is created. This embryo is transferred to the gestational carrier. While the baby will share a biological connection with this woman, she will not be the genetic mother of the baby.
Traditional Surrogacy
In traditional surrogacy, the woman uses her own egg to become pregnant, which is fertilized by the intended father. Most commonly, this is performed through intrauterine insemination (IUI), but in vitro fertilization (IVF) may also be used, especially if the intended parent(s) wish to perform genetic testing on the embryos before transfer. This means that the surrogate has a genetic relationship to the embryo.
Who Uses Surrogacy?
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine states that gestational carriers may be used when there is a clear and definitive medical indication that prevents the intended couple from carrying a child. Examples of some such conditions include:
- Significant uterine anomalies or the absence of a uterus.
- Major medical conditions that would cause significant risk to either the mother or the fetus in pregnancy.
- Biologic inability to carry a child (e.g. same-sex male couple or single male).
- Patients with a history of multiple unexplained IVF cycles or other suggestion of an unidentified endometrial factor.