Chennai: Fertility centres and experts in the city share the same opinion as that of the proposed Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Bill, which discourages single parents and foreign couples to have children through surrogates in India, due to citizenship issues for the newborns.
These centres, which occasionally receive enquiries from the lesbian and gay couples, demand a clear and strict ‘surrogacy law’ to address these confusions.
In an effort to regulate ‘surrogacy in India’, the Supreme Court in September sought a response from the Centre on the issue of citizenship of a child born in India where the parents are foreign nationals, but the birth mother is Indian.
A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi raised the question on whether the baby could be granted temporary dual citizenship. The bench asked the Centre to clarify its stand on the issue and posted the next hearing for later this month.
Fertility expert Dr Geetha Haripriya of Prashanth Fertility Research Centre says, “Around 5 to 10 per cent of women with fertility problems opt for surrogacy.
The common fertility problem among women is repeated miscarriages, IVF failure, uterus removal cases, damage in the lining of the uterus, absence or abnormality in uterus.”
"Indian couples opt for surrogacy when all other methods have failed. It takes about a month of counselling to convince them.
Once, the couple accepts the method, they convince the rest of the family,” says Dr Dhakshayani, clinical director, Nova IVI Fertility Centre, adding that nearly 40 percent conceive after medication, another 40 per cent through IVI/IVF method, while 10 percent go through a sperm/egg bank.
The rest choose between adoption and surrogacy, with the former being the preferred choice, adds Dhakshayani.
A couple opting for surrogacy says, “We didn’t have children even after 10 years of marriage. It was difficult to accept at first, but surrogacy was the only hope of seeing our child’s face, we accepted to opt for it.”
This couple has met the surrogate mother only once but they ensure that she gets wholesome food through their doctor.
There are also instances of the “commissioning” parents taking the surrogate mother home to take care of her through the gestational period says Dr Samundi Sankari, founder and medical director of Srushti Fertility Centre, adding, “Some hospitals do not reveal the identity of the surrogate, but the couple, ensures the woman gets nutrient foods, toiletries and clothes through the doctors.”