Mothers for Sale
Most of Europe bans commercial surrogacy. The United Nations likens it to slavery. But in the United States, business is booming.
TL;DR
- Shoshannah Roberts has served as a surrogate mother four times, viewing it as a meaningful life experience.
- The Men Having Babies organization facilitates surrogacy for gay aspiring fathers.
- Male couples are a significant growth market for US surrogacy, with the industry estimated to be worth nearly $15 billion globally.
- Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Anderson Cooper have publicly used surrogates.
- Backlash against paid surrogacy has increased, with critics labeling participants as "human traffickers" and "baby buyers."
- Many European countries ban commercial surrogacy, with the UN likening it to child sale and slavery.
- Thailand and several other developing countries have enacted laws to protect women from exploitation in surrogacy.
- California is a major hub for surrogacy in the US, with costs starting around $150,000.
- The US debate on surrogacy is influenced by individualism and a "my body, my choice" perspective, contrasting with European concerns about exploitation and dignity.
- Opposition in the US comes from radical feminists and socially conservative Catholics.