Legal-Yes! Moral-???

Everyday millions of babies are born into the world, some of a traditional mom and dad situation, others due to artificial insemination, and others even due to gestational surrogacy. In today’s world if one is not able to conceive a baby there are many options that may assist the individual. One option that is of utmost controversy, in terms of legality and morality, is paid gestational surrogacy. Currently in the United States, some states find paid gestational surrogacy to be legal while others find it to be illegal to be exact only six states have legalized paid gestational surrogacy. Personally, I believe it is the right of a human to do what he or she wishes with his or her own body, as Locke, and many other founding fathers believed. Therefore, if a woman wants to “rent her womb” for twenty thousand dollars so that another couple can have a desired baby, she can do so. It is not the government’s right to restrain a person from doing as they wish as long as it does not infringe upon another’s rights. No one should ever be forced into paid gestational surrogacy. There must be speculations, as with everything else, if the government was to make it legal in all states. Documents of consent should be signed as well as read to the surrogate mother so that the situation is clear and concise and emotions cannot effect the decision afterwards. If the documents had been completed and signed the surrogate mother could not change her mind, and the birth certificate would legally represent the “social” mother. My only objection to paid gestational surrogacy is the fact that it could be taking advantage of the poor and aiding the rich. The fact of the matter is a person who is willing to spend twenty-thousand dollars or more just to have a baby is very wealthy. While probably the women who is willing to be the surrogate mother is not extremely wealthy, at most middle class. Although, this question of whether paid gestational surrogacy is taking advantage of the poor, is not a part of the legality question, it still remains a factor in my mind. Information utilized from: “Ethical Issues in Gestational Surrogacy” by Rosalie Ber and http://www.surrogacy.com/legals/map.html.