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Surrogacy
is a form of third party reproduction where a woman (surrogate)
carries a pregnancy for someone else (intended parent). There
are two forms of surrogacy. Traditional surrogacy is where the
surrogate is inseminated with the intended father's sperm or
donor sperm. The surrogate then carries the pregnancy and upon
delivery, gives the baby to the intended couple. The second
form is gestational surrogacy, where the intended parents undergo
in vitro fertilization using their own gametes (sperm &
eggs) or donor gametes to create embryos that are then transferred
to the surrogate's uterus. The surrogate carries the pregnancy
and upon delivery, gives the baby to the intended parents. This
is the form of surrogacy done at the Reproductive Medicine and
Surgery Center of Virginia.
There are several reasons why a couple may choose surrogacy
as a means to building a family. This includes women with a malfunctioning or absent uterus,
women suffering recurrent pregnancy
loss and women with a disease that prohibits pregnancy.
Surrogacy is a complex process. The first step is finding
a woman willing to be a surrogate. Some people ask a family
member or a friend. Alternatively a surrogate can be located
through agencies or internet sites that post classified ads.
Once a surrogate is found, complete medical (including disease
testing) and psychological screening and counseling must be
done. Competent legal advice is necessary to make sure that
Virginia law is followed. A contract with the surrogate must
be executed before proceeding.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the next step for the intended
parents. During the IVF treatment, the surrogate is prepared
hormonally in order to be in receptive. The embryos are then
transferred to her uterus.
Following are a few informational websites: Organization of
Parents Through Surrogacy: www.opts.com;
A commercial free educational resource on surrogacy: www.everythingsurrogacy.com.
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