Viewpoint: The $14 Billion Unregulated Surrogacy Industry Treats Women as ‘Baby Factories’

In the US, surrogacy laws vary by state, but in general it is largely unregulated and is becoming increasingly accepted as celebrities such as Khloe Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Chrissy Teigen publicly celebrate their children born through surrogacy.

In reality, “big surrogacy” is an inhumane multi-billion dollar industry fueled by wealth, desperation and personal desire. There is a reason we do not allow the sale of organs and tissues in the United States: it would lead to the massive exploitation of vulnerable bodies. So why is it legal to sell eggs and rent out queens in the US?

In many Western countries such as Australia, the UK and Canada, commercial surrogacy is illegal. It is time for the United States to follow suit and outlaw this unethical, dangerous and inhumane practice.

What rights do women have over their bodies during a health emergency? What right to life does a child have if he is a commercial product that must “come out” in a certain way? And in traditional surrogacy (where the egg and/or sperm do not belong to the purchasing parents), what right does the child have over their biological parents after this game of reproductive musical chairs?

None of these questions are currently answered.

This is an excerpt. Read the full article here