Imrie, Susan, and Vasanti Jadva, “The Long-Term Experiences of Surrogates: Relationships and Contact with Surrogacy Families in Genetic and Gestational Surrogacy Arrangements,” Reproductive Biomedicine Online 29, no.4 (October 2014), doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2014.06.004

URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1472648314003538

Abstract

This study examined the contact arrangements and relationships between surrogates and surrogacy families and whether these outcomes differed according to the type of surrogacy undertaken. Surrogates’ motivations for carrying out multiple surrogacy arrangements were also examined, and surrogates’ psychological health was assessed. Semi-structured interviews were administered to 34 women who had given birth to a child conceived through surrogacy approximately 7 years prior to interview. Some surrogates had carried out multiple surrogacy arrangements, and data were collected on the frequency, type of contact, and surrogate’s feelings about the level of contact in each surrogacy arrangement, the surrogate’s relationship with each child and parent, and her experience of, and motivation for, each surrogacy. Questionnaire measures of psychological health were administered. Surrogates had completed a total of 102 surrogacy arrangements and remained in contact with the majority of families, and reported positive relationships in most cases. Surrogates were happy with their level of contact in the majority of arrangements and most were viewed as positive experiences. Few differences were found according to surrogacy type. The primary motivation given for multiple surrogacy arrangements was to help couples have a sibling for an existing child. Most surrogates showed no psychological health problems at the time of data collection.

This study observed that most of the 34 surrogate mothers interviewed in the UK had positive long-term experiences with surrogacy. It is important to note that the study was limited to a small number of altruistic (non-compensated) women in the context of UK-based surrogacy arrangements only, and that the long-term experiences of the children involved were not considered. Furthermore, thirty-five percent of the surrogates were genetically related to the child they gestated.