What is surrogacy?

Surrogacy is defined as an agreement where a woman carries a baby for another person or couple. This arrangement typically involves a surrogate mother who agrees to become pregnant and carry the child until birth, after which the child is handed over to the intended parents. This practice is often utilized by individuals or couples who are unable to conceive naturally due to various medical or personal reasons. The surrogate may be compensated for her role, although there are differing legal and ethical considerations regarding surrogacy contracts in different jurisdictions.

In contrast, adoption refers to the legal process through which a person or couple becomes the permanent legal parent(s) of a child, which is different from surrogacy as it involves taking a child into one's family rather than having a child born specifically for them. Medical treatments for infertility include a wide range of options like IVF (in vitro fertilization), but these treatments are aimed at helping individuals conceive on their own rather than utilizing another person's womb. Lastly, fostering involves temporarily taking care of children who are unable to live with their birth families, where the foster parents provide care until the child can be reunified with their family or adopted. Surrogacy, therefore, distinctly focuses on the process of carrying a pregnancy for someone else.