Womb Outsourcing Threatens International Adoption

I guess it was only a matter of time before a simple straightforward technological solution was found to eliminate the abuses in international adoption. Today’s New York Times highlights the Rent-a-Womb outsourcing movement in India.

An enterprise known as reproductive outsourcing is a new but rapidly expanding business in India. Clinics that provide surrogate mothers for foreigners say they have recently been inundated with requests from the United States and Europe, as word spreads of India’s mix of skilled medical professionals, relatively liberal laws and low prices.

In 2003, I wrote about Sperm Donor Introductions for Lesbians and Snowflake Adoptions. In 2004 there was Pregnant for Jesus or Abducted for Adoption and the Saks Newborn Nurseries. And now this.

Surrogacy is an area fraught with ethical and legal uncertainties. Critics argue that the ease with which relatively rich foreigners are able to “rent” the wombs of poor Indians creates the potential for exploitation. Although the government is actively promoting India as a medical tourism destination, what some see as an exchange of money for babies has made many here uncomfortable.

“An exchange of money for babies.” I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry, rejoice or reject, or just shelve all this adoption blather and move on. I’ll leave with one thought while I sort all this out – another great quote from the NYT story:

Even some of those involved in the business of organizing surrogates want greater regulation. “There must be protection for the surrogates,” Mr. Rupak said.
“Inevitably, people are going to smell the money, and unscrupulous
operators will get into the game. I don’t trust the industry to police
itself.”

Hey, “smell the money” and “unscrupulous operators” rings a familiar bell. Maybe the orphanages can reinvent themselves as surrogate birthing centers. Why not cut out the middle man and go straight for the womb. Perhaps there’s hope for international adoption after all.

10 Replies to "Womb Outsourcing Threatens International Adoption"

  • Marley Greiner
    March 10, 2008 (3:10 pm)

    I don’t know which is more disgusting: international abduction or womb filching. As a militant childfree person I simply can’t understand the mania people have to acquire for children–their’s or anybody else’s. Why not just have a life?

  • Anonymous
    March 10, 2008 (5:24 pm)

    A well-known player in FOA and Guatemalan adoptions, Rudy Rivera, has started a full service fertility referral business for Latin America. Guess he’s feeling the pinch of the Guatemalan adoption shutdown.

  • Roelie Post
    March 10, 2008 (5:46 pm)

    In my book, Romania for Export Only, I describe similar practices:
    ‘A US/Israeli company was harvesting the eggs of students for a financial ‘compensation’. These eggs could be ordered via the Internet, and shipped to New York or London for fertilisation.’
    As far as I know this business has since moved to the Ukraine.
    See my Blog:
    http://romania-forexportonly.blogspot.com/2008/01/indias-exploitation-of-womb.html

  • Dan
    March 22, 2008 (11:43 am)

    Ask for world-class medical services and you’ll find India outshines them all. Seek the best doctors, hospitals or clinics and you’ll need America’s Medical Solutions which is three Americans living in Bombay. Knock on their door at http://www.americasmedicalsolutions.com and they will open up all of India for you.

    Dan

  • Cheapest Prices for Infertility Treatments
    October 8, 2008 (1:07 am)

    Costa Rica has some of the lowest costs for Infertility Treatments. Add this hot medical tourism destination to your list.

  • Surrogacy in India
    January 11, 2010 (4:13 am)

    Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

  • Surrogacy in India
    January 11, 2010 (4:13 am)

    Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

  • IVF Clinic India
    February 4, 2010 (4:27 am)

    Great Post…..

    I found your site on stumbleupon and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!

    Thanks for sharing….

  • SEO software
    November 23, 2010 (10:19 am)

    adoption should be more common and given to more people as long as there is for the childs good , becase if they reach 18 years old in some countries they wont be held anymore in that house.

  • anonymous
    November 22, 2011 (5:27 pm)

    Rudy did my adoption. He’s a dispicable greedy character -described to me by his attorney in Guatemala as uncouth – and that lawyer was among a number found guilty through the Guatemalan courts of falsifying documents – fraud basically. So imagine! I search to see what Rivera is up to from time to time – just to keep an eye on him. This exploitative inept character who makes a living exploiting women in thirld world countries is embarking on a new enterprize- plus ca change!
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