The latest trend in outsourcing, not call center, software development or research; not computer industry or animation or engineering. But it is pregnancy! Increasingly childless American women are looking to Indian woman for their wombs. Of course, at a price. A win-win for all they say, American woman get a baby without hassles of pregnancy and at a fraction of cost. Womb donors makes more than what they would have made in their entire adult life, all within 10 months.
Read the story in New York Times, MSNBC, and Marie Claire. This is also prevalent in UK – Daily Mail. Also check out Chuck Colson’s comments.
Can this be seen as miracle of modern medicine or exploitation of poor woman of India? It is much like controversy surrounding organ donations or right to sell one’s body (prostitution). The experience of American infertile woman or the surrogate mothers in India is not easy or explainable. But everything cannot be reduced simply to economics and global free trade. Ethics and morality does matter for the world order. Diginity of commoner is worth fighting for.
This is the height of medical tourism – by the way it is a booming industry in India recently where they attract Western patients for superspeciality medical services like heart surgery and organ transplants. Now they have extended the idea to “renting” woman’s wombs. The surrogacy is estimated now to be a $445-million-a-year business in India.
Will such developments a result of legal hurdles of surrogacy within US or high cost of the procedure? Why are they forced to look outside? Why not these infertile couples go for adoption? Or what does it take to remain as a childless couple and invest your life and resources for other’s kids or even other parts of the world.
What happens when the child has birth defect or any abnormality? Will the American couple still own such babies? Why do we want pefect babies? Is this a step toward designer babies? Is anything wrong with “baby farms” or assembly line in baby making – industrial effienecy coming to pregnancies?
See photos here.
Coconut Generation 
ahhh too many questions… moreover they are too difficult.
Here you have the fog of ethics standing between the juggernaut of supply and demand.
I’d love to say this is all wrong and should not be allowed to happen… but would I say that if I was a western woman that wanted more than anything to have a baby or an Indian woman that wanted nothing more than to feed her family.
Oh look, there is a nice fence over there. I think I’m gonna go and sit on it.
I’m with Richard. Move over for another fence sitter.
This topic is very controversial and the once thing for certain is that people and companies who are involved in this business must keep a very high moral standard.
[…] the trend of American women looking to Indian women to carry their babies to term. See my entry on Outsourcing of Pregnancy. Is this exploitation of poor Indian women? Is surrogacy of big favor women do it for their […]