Debating Surrogacy

A storm of debate is brewing around the rent-a –womb industry.  Here are some commonly quoted criticisms

"I am extremely sceptical of claims that poor Indian women from isolated villages are not being exploited when they are engaged as surrogates.” 

“Who knows whether they are being coerced by their husbands?”

-Michael Cook, Editor of Bio-Edge. 

“It’s tragic that some women have to turn to surrogacy because they have so few options. It’s a violation of their right as human beings to turn women and their bodies into marketable commodities.”

“What are we doing when we allow women to fragment themselves like this- to separate themselves from the emotions and experiences of delivering a baby?”

- Diane Allen, Co-founder of Infertility Network.

I went to find out what Dr Nayana Patel, who pioneered the outsourcing of commercial surrogacy in India, makes of these criticisms.