Families' Experiences about Legal Implications of Surrogacy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate for Nursing, Nursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Nursing, Nursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Royan Research Center, Jahad Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences Reproduction, Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: Surrogacy is a new reproductive technology that yet has deep ethical, legal, religious and social consequences. Collected data in this regard is necessary not only to inform the founders of this technology and legislators but also in order to set appropriate and safe rules for infertile couples, surrogate mother and the child. The purpose of this study was to explain the legal implications of surrogacy to surrogate mothers and evaluate how they encounter these situations.
Methods: This qualitative research was done in 2011on 20 participants and 11 commissioning mothers, 4 surrogates were selected by using targeted sampling from Royan institute and other infertility centers in Iran. In order to integrate the sources, 5 staff of infertility centers was also interviewed. Data were collected by using 25 deep unstructured interviews. For better organization of data, MaxQDA 2007 software was used. While gathering data, they were analyzed by using conventional content analysis method. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Tarbiat Modares University and Royan Institute. ِData collected and analysis was performed based on conventional content.
Results: Results have shown that surrogate clients experience high stress during and after surrogacy and because of lack of legal supports, they experience so many problems. Participants' experiences, the common theme of "legally bound" revealed three dimensions: "inadequacy of existing laws", "lack of adequate educational support services" and "stress and frustration".
Conclusion: Participants' experiences indicated the inadequate legal framework and great stresses to customers of this new method. Serious encounters, determined and approved rules seems necessary in order to prevent mental and financial stresses. Also, medical staff needed to make clients fully aware of ethical and legal implications when they are applied to assisted reproduction.

Keywords

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