Surrogacy Research Articles

Trends and Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technology Cycles Using a Gestational Carrier Between 2014 and 2020

This study used national surveillance data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology to describe trends and outcomes in assisted reproductive technology cycles using a gestational carrier vs those not using a gestational carrier.

Womb to rent: the ethical and legal implications of surrogacy in Ireland.

Surrogacy is a form of assisted human reproduction whereby a surrogate woman carries a pregnancy for a commissioning couple or individual. There are two types of surrogacy, traditional and gestational. Worldwide we have seen a rapid increase in the use of surrogacy. Despite this, there is a lack of consensus internationally on the laws governing surrogacy. In Ireland, surrogacy remains largely unregulated. Currently, there is no specific legislation for surrogacy. This review aims to discuss its current regulatory status and associated ethical issues. On surrogacy from an Irish legal perspective, this study is to (i) demonstrate the lack of legislation, (ii) describe the Health Bill 2022 and (iii) examine the challenges surrounding surrogacy and Irish case law. On surrogacy from an Irish ethical perspective, this study is to (iv) discuss the ethical issues surrounding autonomy, (v) discuss the ethical issues surrounding non-maleficence, (vi) discuss the ethical issues surrounding justice and (vii) evaluate ethical issues specific to commercial surrogacy: (1) child welfare and (2) commodification and exploitation of children and women's bodies. Surrogacy has raised several ethical issues. There are issues surrounding autonomy of the surrogate and commissioning couple, child welfare, exploitation and commodification, non-maleficence and justice. There are also significant legal concerns with surrogacy. It is neither legal nor illegal in Ireland. This creates challenges for the commissioning couple particularly in terms of custody of the child.

Moral Dilemmas of Surrogate Motherhood.

In the sphere of new modalities of creating offspring, one of the most controversial issues is related to surrogacy because it opens the space to unforeseeable ethical, legal, sociological and psychological world of dilemmas. Surrogacy is the process whereby a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for a couple who cannot conceive naturally and it has become increasingly popular worldwide. This reproductive method relativized the biological fact of birth and denied the central moment in identifying motherhood, expressed in the ancient Roman proverb that the mother of a child is the woman who gave birth to it. Surrogate motherhood changes the notion of motherhood as it separates the natural functions of a woman as a mother, or it separates the genetic from the gestational motherhood. In such a situation, the biological riddle is: Who is the real mother of the child: the one who gives the genetic material or the one who gives birth to it? The answer to this question opens many moral and ethical dilemmas in complex relationships: the surrogate mother, the couple-clients and the child. As the successful medical practice of giving birth to another undeniably exists in different countries of the world, the further fate of this method of reproduction will significantly depend on ethical justifications.

Adoption by same-sex couples: global trends, problems and prospects

The article is devoted to the consideration of the problems and peculiarities of the regulation of adoption (adoption) relations by same-sex couples in the legislation and law enforcement practice of foreign countries, the characteristics of the conditions and restrictions on the adoption of children by such partnerships, the study of the normative principles of adoption in Ukraine, the practice and prospects for the application of this institution, the formulation conclusions and proposals for improving the national system of legal regulation of adoption relations, protection of children’s rights and interests.
 The article notes that in Ukraine, as in many countries of the world, the institution of adoption of children by same-sex couples does not exist as such due to the provisions of public order, which provide for the possibility of concluding exclusively a traditional classical marriage between a man and a woman.
 At the same time, in the national legislation of those states in which same-sex marriages / partnerships are recognized and equated in legal status with registered marriages, opportunities are gradually provided for the adoption and further education of children by same-sex couples. In such countries, registered partnerships provide for the care and education of children both as a result of their birth as a result of surrogate motherhood and as a result of adoption. Analyzed sociological and psychological studies prove that children raised in same-sex couples are generally less successful, have some problems with adaptation and social communication, but they receive more care and attention than they would receive in orphanages or other institutions. organizations of this type.
 The legislation of Ukraine does not recognize consanguineous marriages and partnerships, accordingly, such families are deprived of the right to adopt children under national legislation. At the same time, taking into account the global trends in both the perception of same-sex marriages/partnerships and the granting of them the opportunity to adopt children, as well as the development in Ukraine of the draft Law on the Institute of Registered Partnerships No. 9103, we note the possibility of changes in the legislative approach in the regulation of these relationships.

The Portuguese law on Surrogacy – Promises and Perils

After years of intense debate, on August 22, 2016 the Portuguese Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Law was altered, and altruistic gestational surrogacy was made legal in Portugal. Although the journey has not been easy since then. The Portuguese Constitutional Court was called twice (in 2018 and 2019) to analyse the legal provisions of the surrogacy legal regime. The judges concluded that altruistic surrogacy was not in violation of the Portuguese Constitution, although the legal solution, and later amendment, was, in some of its provisions, unconstitutional. The judges found that the law needed to guarantee the right of the surrogate to regret the arrangement after the child was born. Considering the rulings of the Constitutional Court, surrogacy contracts in Portugal are not enforceable and the surrogate can, after the child is born, revoke her consent and become the legal mother of the child. The Parliament altered the Law accordingly in 2021, although, for the time being, it is still to be regulated.
 Using qualitative methods, including legal, and bioethical analyses and a review of literature, this paper introduces an overview of the Portuguese legal solution on surrogacy and discusses, in particular, the right to regret of the surrogate after the child is born. The conclusion is that the Portuguese law on surrogacy does not yet have a clear and needed position about who are, in fact, the parents or mother(s) of the child in contested surrogacy contracts if the surrogate regrets the arrangement and revokes her consent after the child is born.

The Biopolitics of Parental Access: Cross-Readings of Transnational Adoption and Surrogacy in Denmark and Norway

Abstract This article introduces the notion of the “biopolitics of parental access” as an analytical lens to examine how different forms of reproductive governance support and enable parental access. Through a cross-reading of political and administrative documents relating to the regulation of, respectively, transnational adoption in Denmark and transnational surrogacy in Norway, we examine the logics and techniques that inform the reproductive governance of parental access. Drawing attention to the racialized entanglement of pro- and anti-natalism, the analysis shows how access to parenthood for Danish and Norwegian citizens is continued and secured through the annihilation of the parenthood of surrogate mothers and families losing children to adoption. While the concrete logics and techniques of reproductive governance differ in the two cases, the result—access to parenthood—is similar.

Perlindungan terhadap Ibu Pengganti (Surrogate Mother) dalam Prespektif Hukum Hak Asasi Manusia di Indonesia

This research aims to find out about the protection of human rights and international human rights regarding the practice of Surrogate Mother and to find evidence that there are no legal provisions that can protect the human rights of all parties involved in this practice. This type of research is normative legal research. Through a legislative approach that applies in Indonesia. The results of this research show that the practice of renting a womb violates human rights. The practice of surrogacy or womb renting cannot be implemented in Indonesia because it is considered to violate the human rights of mothers who rent out their wombs to have offspring from a valid marriage in accordance with article 28 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution. Apart from that, when an agreement is made, the agreement is not recognized or considered invalid because a woman's womb is not an object of an agreement. Apart from that, the unclear status of the children born can cause defects if inbreeding occurs. These legal findings show that there are no clear legal provisions that can protect the human rights of all parties involved, including children born as a result of this practice. The legality of renting a womb in international human rights helps married couples to have children. As a form of absolute right as a human right which is also regulated in international instruments including the UDHR and CEDAW.
 
 This research aims to find out about the protection of human rights and international human rights regarding the practice of Surrogate Mother and to find evidence that there are no legal provisions that can protect the human rights of all parties involved in this practice. This type of research is normative legal research. Through a legislative approach that applies in Indonesia. The results of this research show that the practice of renting a womb violates human rights. The practice of surrogacy or womb renting cannot be implemented in Indonesia because it is considered to violate the human rights of mothers who rent out their wombs to have offspring from a valid marriage in accordance with article 28 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution. Apart from that, when an agreement is made, the agreement is not recognized or considered invalid because a woman's womb is not an object of an agreement. Apart from that, the unclear status of the children born can cause defects if inbreeding occurs. These legal findings show that there are no clear legal provisions that can protect the human rights of all parties involved, including children born as a result of this practice. The legality of renting a womb in international human rights helps married couples to have children. As a form of absolute right as a human right which is also regulated in international instruments including the UDHR and CEDAW.

The Baby Makers: Representing Commercial Surrogacy in Film and Television

This essay attempts to define the genre of the surrogacy thriller as a prominent form for recent representations of commercial surrogacy. Placing this genre into a history of film representations of surrogacy and into a wider history of representing women’s work on film, it argues that the genre appears to intervene in debates about gestational labour. On the surface, these films appear to attack both mothers and surrogates alike for their participation in paid employment. However, along with other representations of surrogacy, these films also display a mingling of the language of care with the language of the economy in ways that trouble the easy separation of these two spheres. Potentially, this combination makes possible a critique of gestational labour which would make the nature of women’s work visible and available to resistance. In the form of the thriller this potential seems muted. However, through a reading of James Bridges 1970 film, The Baby Maker, this essay suggests that a space for this critique is possible in the depiction of surrogacy as work which combines both physical and affective labour.

Our bab(y)ies, your uterus—a retrospective study on surrogacy at a private fertility center in South West Nigeria

Introduction: In vitro fertilization, a form of assisted reproductive technology has evolved over the last 3–5 decades in the management of infertility and now has been expanded to include third-party reproductive solutions. There are 2 types of gestational surrogacy: (1) full surrogacy (an egg from a woman is fertilized with a sperm and the resulting embryo is implanted into another woman) or (2) partial surrogacy (sperm from a man is used to fertilize an egg from the same woman in whom the embryo will be transferred to). In Nigeria, there is a paucity of publications on the outcomes of surrogate pregnancies, even though it is being practiced. At the Medical Art Center Ikeja Lagos, we practice only full surrogacy, otherwise referred to as gestational surrogacy. Study design: This was a retrospective descriptive study of 61 cycles performed over 76 months between January 1, 2015 and April 30, 2021 at a private-run single-location fertility center in South West Nigeria. Data were extracted from the electronic medical records of the commissioning parents and the gestational carrier. Results: There were a total of 58 gestational carriers in the program. Eleven (19%) had a miscarriage and there were 63 live births, out of which were 14 twin pairs (44%), 1 set of triplets (~5%) and the rest were singletons. One (1.7%) surrogate had delivery complicated by a hysterectomy on account of postpartum hemorrhage. There was no maternal mortality. The commonest reason for choosing surrogacy was multiple failed in vitro fertilization cycles, uterine factor infertility, and advanced maternal age. Conclusion: Gestational surrogacy is a valid medically assisted reproduction option for individuals who desire to have children. This option should continue to be supported by ethical, regulatory, and legal frameworks available in Nigeria.

The Representation of Cross-Border Surrogacy in Australian Surrogacy Events

As a method of family formation, cross-border surrogacy is controversial and beset by risks of exploitation. This article extends the literature on surrogacy by examining the way Australian surrogacy promotion and information events represent cross-border surrogacy. It examines the emerging phenomenon of surrogacy events held by a not-for-profit surrogacy organization to promote cross-border surrogacy in Australia—a country that prohibits commercial surrogacy. The article draws on observations from a series of surrogacy events in Australia and online during the 2019–21 time period. It examines the presentations given at these events by surrogacy facilitators, surrogate mothers, and intended parents. We observed four themes: (1) Intended parents are positioned as consumers, (2) the benefits of cross-border commercial surrogacy are highlighted relative to other methods of family formation, (3) the positive side of cross-border surrogacy is accentuated, and (4) reproductive rights are emphasized. These representations run counter to feminist framings of cross-border surrogacy as exploitative and risky. This paper understands that the framing of surrogacy that occurs at these promotion events to be neoliberal in nature. The conceptualization helps explain their consumerist peppiness and commodifying subjectivity.

Ozone sauna therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy could potentially improve outcome in women with diminished ovarian reserve undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

There are limited treatment options for women with severely diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) who experience repeatedly failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles and with persistently thin endometrial lining thickness (EMT) during frozen embryo transfer cycles. Therefore, a large majority of patients resort to using donor oocytes and gestational carriers. Data from existing animal and human studies suggest that ozone sauna therapy (OST) and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) are emerging as potential therapeutic adjuncts for female reproduction. This study was conducted to assess the fertility outcome of OST + PEMF in vivo in patients undergoing IVF/frozen embryo transfe and the effects of OST in vitro on human granulosa cell (GC) function. Forty-four women with DOR underwent their 1st IVF cycle (Cycle 1), and then were administered transdermal and intravaginal OST + PEMF, twice a week for 3 weeks, followed by a 2nd IVF cycle (Cycle 2) using the same protocol as in Cycle 1. GCs collected from another six women who underwent egg retrieval were equally split and cultured with OST (test) or placed in room temperature (control) outside the OST chamber in the same room. The results demonstrated that Cycles 1 and 2 had no significant difference in the number of days of stimulation, baseline hormones measured, number of oocytes retrieved or peak estradiol levels. However, the number of embryos formed after OST + PEMF in Cycle 2 was significantly higher than the Cycle 1. Furthermore, EMT measured in Cycle 2 demonstrated a significant increase compared to Cycle 1 and all patients reached a satisfactory EMT of approximately 7 mm. In vitro studies demonstrated that OST led to a 5-fold significant increase in the aromatase enzyme while a significant 50% reduction was noted in the side-chain cleavage enzyme in GCs. Both OST + PEMF are known for their vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant actions, which could enhance endometrial receptivity and increase the number of formed embryos without increasing the number of oocytes retrieved, suggesting an improvement in oocyte quality. Finally, ozone can alter genes involved in steroidogenesis suggesting that it could improve ovarian function.

Международное право и коммерческое суррогатное материнство: запрещать или разрешать

Интенсивное развитие международных коммерческих соглашений о суррогатном материнстве создало серьезные этические и юридические дилеммы в отношении гражданства детей, рожденных суррогатными матерями, и отцовства детей, зачатых в соответствии с условиями коммерческого суррогатного материнства, а также возникновением проблемы потенциальной эксплуатации суррогатных матерей. В статье эти проблемы рассмотрены через призму международного права в области прав человека, чтобы выявить, следует ли государству применять запретительный или разрешительный подход в отношении этой практики. Автор статьи определяет коммерческое суррогатное материнство как практику или договоренность, согласно которой предполагаемый родитель (родители) выплачивает суррогатной матери прямо или через посредника финансовое вознаграждение сверх фактических личных расходов, понесенных суррогатной матерью. Утверждается, что право на неприкосновенность частной жизни является достаточно широким, чтобы охватывать право на заключение соглашения о суррогатном материнстве. Однако государства могут ограничить это право, если это необходимо для защиты прав других лиц и/или защиты общественной морали. В этом контексте коммерческое суррогатное материнство проблематично по нескольким причинам. Во-первых, имеются веские основания полагать, что это равносильно продаже ребенка. Во-вторых, есть доводы, что коммерческое суррогатное материнство неприемлемо с моральной точки зрения, поскольку усиливает гендерное неравенство. Сложно обеспечить достаточную защиту от потенциальной эксплуатации суррогатных матерей (особенно в развивающихся странах, где женщины часто соглашаются на коммерческое суррогатное материнство по причине бедности). Если любой из этих аргументов будет принят, то в рамках международного права можно требовать от государств запретить коммерческое суррогатное материнство. Более того, даже если эти аргументы останутся спорными, они все же могут полагаться на эти аргументы для оправдания запрета коммерческого суррогатного материнства. Этот вывод имеет серьезные последствия для любого потенциального многостороннего договора, регулирующего международное коммерческое суррогатное материнство, если только он не запрещает эту практику, и в этом случае его полезность будет ограничена, учитывая практически отсутствие спроса на международное альтруистическое суррогатное материнство.

Legal problems of surrogate motherhood in Russia

Legal problems of surrogate motherhood in Russia

Theoretical Approaches Towards Studying Motivation for Surrogate Motherhood

Population increase in Russia is one of the key strategies that determine state demographic policy. Modern advancements in medical science make it possible to use various technologies that allow men and women who are unable to conceive for medical reasons to find joy in parenthood. The article discusses theories that reveal the essence and content of people’s need to reproduce and live on in future generations by means of using such technology as surrogate motherhood. The research analysis is rooted in the methodology for studying specific social phenomena based on the general theory of human activity determination developed within sociology and psychology: the role of external and internal necessity, needs in shaping the motivation for resorting to surrogate motherhood (A. Zdravomyslov, A. Merenkov). The article points out the importance of the human instinct to continue oneself in subsequent generations. The influence of needs when it comes to forming the motivation for certain human behavior is analyzed based on theoretical provisions (G. Arefiev, A. Bandura, A. Maslow, A. Leontiev) that reveal the process of conscious search for ways to satisfy different needs whenever it is possible. The emergence of medical technology allowing for the birth of a child with the help of a woman whose body, upon receiving someone else’s genetic material, is able to perform this function, forms different motives for the customer and whomever is performing such a task. P. Bourdieu’s theory of social capital helps to identify a set of economic, social, and cultural conditions that determine the content of external and internal factors that contribute to a system of interaction between these social actors. Specific motives for people having their own children are analyzed by W. Miller, D. Friedman, J. Greenberg. The research into women’s motivation for surrogate motherhood is based on works by P. Berger, T. Luckman, M. Fouquet, who studied the modern trend of using a person’s body to fulfill various needs. At the same time, the surrogate mother may develop different forms of identifying herself with the born child. The analysis of these contradictions is carried out based on conceptions of identity by M. Heidegger, E. Erickson, E. Giddens, J. Toshchenko. It is concluded that the use of different theoretical approaches to identifying the social and cultural factors which impact motivation for surrogate motherhood results in highquality empirical research that reveals the specifics of using this assisted reproductive technology in Russia.

Assisted reproductive technology use and outcomes in childhood cancer survivors.

Treatment exposures for childhood cancer reduce ovarian reserve. However, the success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) among female survivors is not well established. Five-year survivors of childhood cancer in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were linked to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System, which captures national ART outcomes. The authors assessed the live birth rate, the relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and associations with treatment exposure using generalized estimating equations to account for multiple ovarian stimulations per individual. Siblings from a random sample of survivors were recruited to serve as a comparison group. Among 9885 female survivors, 137 (1.4%; median age at diagnosis, 10years [range, 0-20 years]; median years of follow-up after age 18 years, 11years [range, 2-11 years]) underwent 224 ovarian stimulations using autologous or donor eggs and/or gestational carriers (157 autologous ovarian stimulation cycles, 67 donor ovarian stimulation cycles). In siblings, 33 (1.4%) underwent 51 autologous or donor ovarian stimulations. Of those who used embryos from autologous eggs without using gestational carriers, 97 survivors underwent 155 stimulations, resulting in 49 live births, for a 31.6% chance of live birth per ovarian stimulation (vs. 38.3% for siblings; p=.39) and a 43.9% chance of live birth per transfer (vs. 50.0%; p=.33). Prior treatment with cranial radiation therapy (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.20-0.97) and pelvic radiation therapy (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15-0.73) resulted in a reduced chance of live birth compared with siblings. The likelihood of live birth after ART treatment in survivors was not affected by alkylator exposure (cyclophosphamide-equivalent dose, ≥8000mg/m2 vs. none; RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.52-2.05). Childhood cancer survivors are as likely to undergo treatment using ART as sibling controls. The success of ART treatment was not reduced after alkylator exposure. The results from the current study provide needed guidance on the use of ART in this population.

A "Parenting Licence" Granted by One’s Existing Children? Critical Analysis of the Judgment in Ex Parte JCR 2022 5 SA 202 (GP)

In Ex parte JCR 2022 5 SA 202 (GP) the Pretoria High Court per Neukircher J seeks to introduce new requirements for all surrogacy agreements in South African law. The court considered the psychological impact of surrogacy on the children of both the surrogate parents and the commissioning parents and the need to put in place procedures ‘for preparing them for this process [of not bringing the surrogate baby home]’ or ‘for a new addition to their family’, respectively. The court ordered the mandatory psychological assessment of the existing children of the surrogate parents and commissioning parents. A report emanating from such an assessment would ostensibly assist the court in determining the best interests of the existing children of the parties to the agreement. We argue that the psychological evaluation of the existing children of the parties to a surrogate motherhood agreement fundamentally upsets the balance between the interests of the parties involved in the surrogacy process. In fact, it shifts the balance of power almost entirely into the hands of the existing children, such that they may be said to decide whether their parents allowed to have any more children. We argue that the court’s interpretation that such assessments would be in the best interests of existing children, is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the court’s duty in this regard. The new assessment requirement is more likely to undermine these children’s interests, to violate the commissioning parents’ constitutional rights to dignity and equality, and their rights to reproductive autonomy, privacy, and access to reproductive healthcare.

PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS OF LEGAL REGULATION OF SURROGACY IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

In this scientifi c article, the author examines the institution of surrogate motherhood, the features of its legislative regulation in the Russian Federation, as well as the practice of applying surrogacy contracts concluded in the Russian Federation, and the problems that arise in the fi eld of jurisprudence when using this assisted reproductive technology. The author considers the problem of the legal nature of the surrogacy contract, analyzing various points of view. In the course of the work, the author formulates a conclusion about the need to legally consolidate the contract for the provision of surrogate motherhood services as an independent type of contract. The author also believes that there is a need to assign a simple written form to this agreement, to determine its essential conditions. The author emphasizes the need for a more specifi c defi nition of the subject of this agreement. In the course of the work, the author highlights confl icts of law regarding the recognition of the right to motherhood and paternity when using assisted reproductive technologies, and analyzes judicial practice confi rming this confl ict. The author analyzes the legislation of the Russian Federation in this area, proposing to amend some of its provisions in order to reduce the risk of litigation when using surrogate motherhood.

Hak Waris Anak Hasil Surogasi Menurut Peraturan Perundang–Undangan di Indonesia

The aim of this research is to find out whether there are women who do not have a uterus or cannot undergo pregnancy due to medical indications and want to have children and what the legal status of inheritance is regarding the surrogate mother. This paper uses a normative method by analyzing and using a legal approach regarding the data sources used, namely secondary data sources consisting of primary legal materials, secondary legal materials and tertiary legal materials (Hadi, 1990). The data collection method uses literature study and review of applicable legal regulations. The data analysis carried out by the author is qualitative analysis. The results of the research show that renting a womb cannot be carried out in Indonesia because it violates Law Number 1 of 1974 concerning marriage, where to obtain legal offspring there must be a marriage bond. This applies if the surrogate woman is a widow or maiden. Womb rental also violates Article 72. Law Number 36 of 2009 concerning Health, the womb rental agreement/agreement from a civil law perspective is considered invalid because it violates the essence of the object of the agreement/agreement. The inheritance status of children resulting from renting a womb in the perspective of Islamic law is that children resulting from renting a womb are classified as illegitimate children who are not recognized or children resulting from adultery, if the surrogate mother has the status of a widow or girl, because in inheritance law which causes inheritance between the heir and the heir, namely there is a kinship and marriage relationship, while a child born to a surrogate mother does not have a marriage relationship.

Abandonment of newborns with impairments in surrogacy: rights protection in China and beyond

In China, surrogate newborns with impairments face significant risks of abandonment and lack of treatment and care. In China, there is a growing number of surrogate newborns each year. They are at high risk of impairments and abandonment, which cause a gap in their guardianship and endanger their lives. Surrogate mothers and agencies may not be willing or able to support and treat newborns with impairments, resulting in further abandonment and damage. China should first solve the responsibility gap caused by unclear legal parenthood in surrogacy and establish temporary guardianship responsibility to ensure seamless care and treatment. Strengthening social assistance for surrogate newborns with impairments and their families is urgently needed. The timely intervention of the government, welfare institutions, NGOs and the more comprehensive regulation on surrogacy are also indispensable to protect the rights of surrogate newborns with impairments.

Klass och (o)fria val i samtidens globala reproduktionslandskap

The number of Swedish children conceived through commercial surrogacy abroad are increasing and the media debate on surrogacy is heated. In the wake of this, the Swedish public sphere is being filled with personal narratives of individuals travelling abroad with the purpose of having a child through surrogacy. This article analyses two books written by parents through surrogacy: Jaga storken (Hunt the stork) and Moscow baby, with a particular interest in how these two narratives describe and justify the stark class inequalities between intended parents and surrogate mothers. This kind of personal stories contribute to the normalisation of surrogacy through representing intended parents as ”having no choice” and the surrogate mothers as ”choosing subjects”. Thus, they play a crucial ideological function in the ongoing debate on surrogacy.