Ethical and Legal Controversies in Surrogacy


Abstract- Surrogacy has emerged as a complex and highly debated practice, raising numerous ethical and legal concerns. This paper explores the ethical and legal controversies surrounding surrogacy, focusing on issues such as the commodification of women’s bodies, exploitation of surrogate mothers, and the potential violation of human rights. Furthermore, it highlights the legal challenges posed by cross-border surrogacy arrangements, including conflicts over citizenship, parentage, and contractual disputes. A comparative analysis of surrogacy regulations across different countries emphasizes the lack of a uniform global legal framework, leading to varied and inconsistent practices. Ethical dilemmas arise when the rights of the surrogate mother, intended parents, and child conflict, making the creation of robust, ethical, and legally sound surrogacy frameworks essential. This study underscores the need for balancing ethical considerations with legal safeguards to protect all parties involved in surrogacy, ensuring that reproductive rights are respected while preventing exploitation.
Keywords: surrogacy, ethical controversies, legal challenges, commodification, reproductive rights, cross-border surrogacy, human rights.