Loopholes and shady practices taint U.S. surrogacy industry
Lured by promises of payment and a desire to help other families, surrogates discover they have few protections from practices that cast a "dark shadow" over the industry.
TL;DR
- Surrogates in the U.S. have few protections, despite the country being the only developed nation where commercial surrogacy is legal.
- Women like Andrea and Mayra Hernandez reported meeting intended parents for the first time at delivery and receiving less compensation than advertised.
- Cases involving intended parents hiring multiple surrogates simultaneously, such as Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, and Chinese billionaire Xu Bo, have come to light.
- California is a major hub for surrogacy due to its favorable laws, attracting foreign nationals.
- The industry faces criticism for a lack of oversight, with minimal requirements for agency licensing and background checks for intended parents.
- Surrogates often feel bound by contracts and financial necessity, making it difficult to refuse requests or seek further recourse.
- Efforts to update laws to protect surrogates have largely stalled, while some legislative proposals aim to bar citizens of certain countries from using U.S. surrogacy services.