Womb outsourcing: The West turns to India for babies

Published time: February 16, 2012 17:13
Edited time: February 16, 2012 21:15
Dr. Nayna Patel (C), a pioneer of reproductive surrogacy in India, holds 10-day old Josh, who was born to an Indian surrogate mother. (AFP Photo / Sam Panthaky)
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Economic and legal issues are pushing hundreds of western couples to look overseas when considering surrogate motherhood, and India has become the number one most affordable surrogacy destination.

­Surrogacy has become the latest trend in the well-established outsourcing relationship between the West and India.

India’s doctors say the demand for surrogate services is rapidly growing, with the majority of interest coming from overseas.

One reason is that Indian surrogacy costs roughly one quarter the price of similar services in Western countries.

RT spoke to Eric and Susan Freudenthal, a couple from Texas, who came to India to meet their new baby.

“Around 10 years ago we decided we would try to have a child and, it didn't happen naturally… We had pretty much given up hope and we spent a bunch of money. That’s when we realized that Indian surrogacy was something that was reasonable,” Eric says.

The average cost of surrogacy in India is 25,000 dollars, and the surrogate mother gets between six and eight thousand out of that sum. For many surrogate mothers, this amount is equal to 10 years' worth of wages.

However, there is a strong ethical issue here, as many see the low Indian costs as facilitating the exploitation of women who are vulnerable due to their poor economic situation and difficult living circumstances.

“Because women are poor and available, because they have the challenge to survive and just for survival they have to sell their womb – and here are people who are exploiting it,” Indian doctor Ranjana Kumari told RT.

But for Eric and Susan, the issue is not so black and white. They are leaving India with their new baby boy Peter, the child they waited for for years.

Comments (9)

Lydia (unregistered) 05.06.2012 09:32

I was shocked to read that it is being said that "White People are the Cancer of Humanity" and that "The reason white women are infertile is because of Natural Selection - Nature's way of ensuring that the white race disappears." I think it is nice that all these infertile white people are choosing to have surrogate babies with Indian ladies. After all, Indians know how to give love.

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rara8773 21.02.2012 22:02

I just came back from India. I am currently waiting to hear if our surrogate is indeed pregnant. I know for a fact that she wants it to work almost as much as we do. My husband and I by no means are rich or wealthy, but we have wanted a baby for 5 years and unfortunately I no longer have a uterus. The cost and statistics are what made us turn to India. Our surrogate happens to be one of the more educated women in India (she is a pediatric nurse), but she is also a widow. She will be able to help her children with a better education by doing this extremely appreciated task for us and we will be able to have a much wanted child. I do not see this as exploitation whatsoever. Both parties are benefited. I went through Dr. Nayana Patel and I met people from Africa, Europe, Australia, the US and India (locals & former citizens that now live in the west) at the clinic. We all shared in the heartache of wanting a child and not being able to bear one on our own. It's a universal longing and I don't see it as Americans or other Westerners as trying to exploit poor women.

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macsux 17.02.2012 20:36

I see absolutely nothing wrong with people in poor countries taking an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty. That's not exploitation - that's opportunity for *them*. Yes, in the west it falls in the category of exploitation to be paid $6k for a kid, but believe it or not most of the world lives in conditions that you can't even imagine being in. All you bleeding hearts calling it exploitation, you would rather see that woman be hungry, poor, and living in s**t for most of her life then having a baby. I'm sure from their perspective the transaction seems fair, as they calculated what the pros and cons are. If you're so concerned about them being exploited then start living at bare minimum and spread the wealth to them so they don't have to act as surrogate.&n bsp;
Besides, we're only talking about difference in income and the worth of money. If you pay enough money to someone in the west, almost any woman here will agree - offer them 100 mil and I'll bet you 90% of women in US will do it. By that logic almost everyone is a prostitute, and now we're just negotiating on the price. I don't personally see it that way

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