Surrogacy in the United States: analysis of sociodemographic profiles and motivations of surrogates

Abstract

Research questionSurrogacy is a process that uses human-assisted reproductive technology whereby a woman agrees to carry and deliver a child on behalf of another individual or couple. It is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries. In many European countries, there are political and social debates on how surrogacy should fit into their legal frameworks. One of the main questions on which the arguments in favour and against surrogacy are based is women's autonomy to decide to become surrogates of their own free will. The social actors opposed to its regulation (radical feminism and ultra-conservative Catholicism) converge in their approach by questioning women's autonomy to make decisions about their own bodies while ignoring altruistic motivations and prosocial behaviour. DesignThis quantitative study was performed with n=231 participants in the US, given the country's long history of surrogacy, to help clarify the profile of the women who become surrogates, their power of decision and their motivations. ResultsThe descriptive and the multivariate cluster analyses show that women who become surrogates earn above the average income for their state, have a high level of education, have health insurance, are employed, and decide to become a surrogate for pro-social/altruistic reasons. ConclusionsIn contrast to the premise of both radical feminism and ultra-conservative Catholicism, one of the main conclusions indicates that altruism and empathy towards others are the primary motivations for participating in surrogacy processes, and that a woman's decision to become a surrogate is not motivated by social conditioning relating to poverty or social status.