Maggie Leatherman
College Composition and Research
Argumentative Essay
December 5, 2016
Surrogacy
According to Issues and Controversies, “The word ‘surrogate’ is used to refer to a substitute; a person or thing employed to represent or take the place of another. In modern parlance, the term often refers to a woman who agrees to carry another woman's child in her womb” (“Surrogacy” par. 3). After carrying the child through each trimester, the surrogate mother gives the child to the parents and gets compensated for her service. Surrogacy offers infertile couples a chance to raise a child who carries their chromosomes (“Surrogacy” par. 1). Even though surrogacy seems as if it has no negative effects, the negative effects do exist and outweigh the benefits. The counter argument for surrogacy argues that couples who have tried in vitro fertilization and have a negative outcome use surrogate mothers as their last option; however, with the amount of children in foster care, the buying and selling of a woman and baby, and the question of legal parents should make surrogacy less of an option for infertile parents.
Couples, who use in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have a negative outcome, use surrogacy because it is their last option to have children. In vitro fertilization is artificially combining the egg and sperm together outside the womb. However, when IVF does not work, upcoming parents then rely on surrogacy. Proponents of surrogacy believe that they are not receiving a payment for their services, but merely doing an upcoming family a favor (“Surrogacy” par. 32). Lisa Baker, writer and teacher, states, “Since the late 1970s, more than 35,000 babies have been born in the United States as part of surrogacy arrangements” (Baker par. 2). As IVF becomes more successful, surrogacy, in turn, becomes more popular because of the medical advancements of the IVF procedure now used in surrogacy. Although surrogacy has become widely accepted, issues emerge with the use of a surrogate mother.
Surrogacy should not be an option for infertile mothers trying to start a family because of the amount of children in foster care without a permanent home. According to World of Health, “The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) says that 523,000 children were in foster care and 119,000 children were waiting to be adopted in the United States at the end of September 2003” (“Adoption” par. 9). Therefore, surrogacy is, in fact, not the last option for infertile parents. As well as children needing homes in the United States, foreign countries are in dire need of adoptive parents. Vicki Peterson, executive director of the nonprofit adoption agency Wide Horizons, states, ". . . An international adoption is an adoption where you're saving a child that wouldn't have had a future in the country of their birth” (qtd. in “International Adoption” par. 25). Surrogacy is not the only option for infertile mothers because of the kids in foster care who long for homes. In addition to kids in foster care needing homes, surrogacy should not be an option because it casts an amount on human life.
Surrogacy should not be contemplated because it puts a price tag on human life. "The human body is not lent out, is not rented out, is not sold," said a 1991 ruling by France's highest court, when it banned surrogate pregnancies in that country (“Surrogacy” par. 41). Surrogacy puts a price on a child. The human body should not be part of a business transaction (“Surrogacy” par. 44). Jennifer Lahl, founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, found that surrogates that have a low income are sometimes referred to as incubators, breeders, and even Easy-Bake Ovens (Lahl par. 8). Lahl is a nurse who states the facts of who the surrogate mothers are and how they are used: as incubators. A surrogate mother carries a child for nine months and is supposed to have no emotional connections to the baby, however this is not always true. Furthermore, when a surrogate develops a connection with the baby, she begins to question the babies legal parents.
Surrogacy poses questions as to who the legal parents of the child are. The "Baby M" case received attention when Mary Beth Whitehead, a surrogate mother, sued for custody of the baby she was carrying rather than giving the child to the biological parents, William and Elizabeth Stern (Baker par. 3). This was the first controversial case involving surrogacy. Legally, the father, Stern, and surrogate mother, Whitehead, had custody over “Baby M” (Baker par. 3). The Sterns fought for custody over the baby and eventually won, but settled for visitation rights for Whitehead (Baker par. 3). The Sterns wanted to bring a child into the world but instead received court dates. Another case involved parents Steven and Angelina Kates, and Angelina’s cousin, Klimova, as the surrogate (“But We Are His Parents” par. 1-2). According to the New York Post, “The embryo was implanted in the womb of Angelina's cousin, yet in the eyes of the government the baby belongs to the relative and her husband - even though the surrogate cousin signed away rights to the child” (“But We Are His Parents” par. 3). Surrogacy begins to become controversial due to the legality of who the real parents of the child are in reference to state laws. New York law requires the woman who gave birth to the child, surrogate or not, to be named the legal mother on the birth certificate (“But We Are His Parents” par. 4). Surrogacy should not be an option for infertile parents because of the question, “Who are the legal parents?”
A surrogate is used to refer to a substitute, a person or thing employed to represent or take the place of another (“Surrogacy” par. 3). When applied to parents trying to start a family, some look at a surrogate as a last option to have a baby. However, before an infertile couple chooses to use surrogacy to have a child, they should contemplate all of the effects of using a surrogate mother. The amount of children in foster care, the buying and selling of a woman and baby, and the question of legal parents should make surrogacy less of an option for infertile parents.
College Composition and Research
Argumentative Essay
December 5, 2016
Surrogacy
According to Issues and Controversies, “The word ‘surrogate’ is used to refer to a substitute; a person or thing employed to represent or take the place of another. In modern parlance, the term often refers to a woman who agrees to carry another woman's child in her womb” (“Surrogacy” par. 3). After carrying the child through each trimester, the surrogate mother gives the child to the parents and gets compensated for her service. Surrogacy offers infertile couples a chance to raise a child who carries their chromosomes (“Surrogacy” par. 1). Even though surrogacy seems as if it has no negative effects, the negative effects do exist and outweigh the benefits. The counter argument for surrogacy argues that couples who have tried in vitro fertilization and have a negative outcome use surrogate mothers as their last option; however, with the amount of children in foster care, the buying and selling of a woman and baby, and the question of legal parents should make surrogacy less of an option for infertile parents.
Couples, who use in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have a negative outcome, use surrogacy because it is their last option to have children. In vitro fertilization is artificially combining the egg and sperm together outside the womb. However, when IVF does not work, upcoming parents then rely on surrogacy. Proponents of surrogacy believe that they are not receiving a payment for their services, but merely doing an upcoming family a favor (“Surrogacy” par. 32). Lisa Baker, writer and teacher, states, “Since the late 1970s, more than 35,000 babies have been born in the United States as part of surrogacy arrangements” (Baker par. 2). As IVF becomes more successful, surrogacy, in turn, becomes more popular because of the medical advancements of the IVF procedure now used in surrogacy. Although surrogacy has become widely accepted, issues emerge with the use of a surrogate mother.
Surrogacy should not be an option for infertile mothers trying to start a family because of the amount of children in foster care without a permanent home. According to World of Health, “The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) says that 523,000 children were in foster care and 119,000 children were waiting to be adopted in the United States at the end of September 2003” (“Adoption” par. 9). Therefore, surrogacy is, in fact, not the last option for infertile parents. As well as children needing homes in the United States, foreign countries are in dire need of adoptive parents. Vicki Peterson, executive director of the nonprofit adoption agency Wide Horizons, states, ". . . An international adoption is an adoption where you're saving a child that wouldn't have had a future in the country of their birth” (qtd. in “International Adoption” par. 25). Surrogacy is not the only option for infertile mothers because of the kids in foster care who long for homes. In addition to kids in foster care needing homes, surrogacy should not be an option because it casts an amount on human life.
Surrogacy should not be contemplated because it puts a price tag on human life. "The human body is not lent out, is not rented out, is not sold," said a 1991 ruling by France's highest court, when it banned surrogate pregnancies in that country (“Surrogacy” par. 41). Surrogacy puts a price on a child. The human body should not be part of a business transaction (“Surrogacy” par. 44). Jennifer Lahl, founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, found that surrogates that have a low income are sometimes referred to as incubators, breeders, and even Easy-Bake Ovens (Lahl par. 8). Lahl is a nurse who states the facts of who the surrogate mothers are and how they are used: as incubators. A surrogate mother carries a child for nine months and is supposed to have no emotional connections to the baby, however this is not always true. Furthermore, when a surrogate develops a connection with the baby, she begins to question the babies legal parents.
Surrogacy poses questions as to who the legal parents of the child are. The "Baby M" case received attention when Mary Beth Whitehead, a surrogate mother, sued for custody of the baby she was carrying rather than giving the child to the biological parents, William and Elizabeth Stern (Baker par. 3). This was the first controversial case involving surrogacy. Legally, the father, Stern, and surrogate mother, Whitehead, had custody over “Baby M” (Baker par. 3). The Sterns fought for custody over the baby and eventually won, but settled for visitation rights for Whitehead (Baker par. 3). The Sterns wanted to bring a child into the world but instead received court dates. Another case involved parents Steven and Angelina Kates, and Angelina’s cousin, Klimova, as the surrogate (“But We Are His Parents” par. 1-2). According to the New York Post, “The embryo was implanted in the womb of Angelina's cousin, yet in the eyes of the government the baby belongs to the relative and her husband - even though the surrogate cousin signed away rights to the child” (“But We Are His Parents” par. 3). Surrogacy begins to become controversial due to the legality of who the real parents of the child are in reference to state laws. New York law requires the woman who gave birth to the child, surrogate or not, to be named the legal mother on the birth certificate (“But We Are His Parents” par. 4). Surrogacy should not be an option for infertile parents because of the question, “Who are the legal parents?”
A surrogate is used to refer to a substitute, a person or thing employed to represent or take the place of another (“Surrogacy” par. 3). When applied to parents trying to start a family, some look at a surrogate as a last option to have a baby. However, before an infertile couple chooses to use surrogacy to have a child, they should contemplate all of the effects of using a surrogate mother. The amount of children in foster care, the buying and selling of a woman and baby, and the question of legal parents should make surrogacy less of an option for infertile parents.
Works Cited
“Adoption.” World of Health, Gale, 2007, Student Resources in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Reference&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=SUIC&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE|CV2191500015&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=chil38234&jsid=d4153fb044cd5745bdd1c3a065f79a28.
Baker, Lisa. “A Surrogate Dries Her Tears.” Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources, Edited by K. Lee Lerner et al., Gale, Detroit, 2006, pp. 315–318, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/PrimarySourcesDetailsPage/PrimarySourcesDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=PrimarySources&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE|CX2688300126&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=ncmoc11357&jsid=f3ae7c3b40d66a547c0282f4babf25bd.
"But We Are His Parents." New York Post [New York, NY], 29 Jan. 2016, p. 014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=News&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA441723883&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=chil38234&jsid=b0472b4fe17579762ba181f2fcf102c8. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016.
“International Adoption.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 3 Nov. 2006. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2113>.
Lahl, Jennifer. “Breeding Exploitation: The Faces of Surrogacy.” National Review Online, Edited by Noël Merino, 2014, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE|EJ3010053406&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=chil38234&jsid=d43e42797bcc487a871b10ed14933a59.
“Surrogacy.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 4 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2508>.
“Adoption.” World of Health, Gale, 2007, Student Resources in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Reference&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=SUIC&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE|CV2191500015&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=chil38234&jsid=d4153fb044cd5745bdd1c3a065f79a28.
Baker, Lisa. “A Surrogate Dries Her Tears.” Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources, Edited by K. Lee Lerner et al., Gale, Detroit, 2006, pp. 315–318, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/PrimarySourcesDetailsPage/PrimarySourcesDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=PrimarySources&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE|CX2688300126&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=ncmoc11357&jsid=f3ae7c3b40d66a547c0282f4babf25bd.
"But We Are His Parents." New York Post [New York, NY], 29 Jan. 2016, p. 014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=News&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA441723883&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=chil38234&jsid=b0472b4fe17579762ba181f2fcf102c8. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016.
“International Adoption.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 3 Nov. 2006. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2113>.
Lahl, Jennifer. “Breeding Exploitation: The Faces of Surrogacy.” National Review Online, Edited by Noël Merino, 2014, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE|EJ3010053406&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=&source=Bookmark&u=chil38234&jsid=d43e42797bcc487a871b10ed14933a59.
“Surrogacy.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 4 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2508>.