[Read]....Third party parenthood

Mrs. Mariam Opu just left my office with her husband after extensively asking questions on the possibility of third party parenting (known as surrogate motherhood). They wanted to know the possible negative effects and benefits of this attempt. According to her, my office is about the 10th place she is visiting with her husband in search of a solution to their infertility challenge. She has undergone countless number of tests and some medical procedures, all to no avail. Her husband does not approve of adopting a child, as he insists they can still have their own children. But the prevailing challenge is that age is not on their side Mrs. Opu is in her late 40s while her husband is above 60. She is almost at her wits end because she does not know what next to do.

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According to statistics, we have alarming high rate of couples who are sterile, infertile or childless due to countless reasons such as low semen quality; no or low sperm count; age-related factors; abnormal sperm production or function; ovulation disorders; uterine problems; fallopian tube damage or blockage; ovarian cyst; general health and lifestyle issues; and the like. A typical couple’s dream is to have and raise children of their own, ultimately bringing up people to take care of them when they get older.

But when they are not able to reproduce, most times through no fault of theirs or in some cases, due to medical reasons, it could be utterly devastating. But should this be the end of the story for such couples? Definitely NO!

For a couple wanting to have children of their own, they can take advantage of assisted reproductive technologies. Surrogate motherhood is one of such available forms of ARTs. The growing practice of using such for infertile couples is drawing increasing attention. Surrogate motherhood  or a third party parenting is a relationship in which one woman bears and gives birth to a child for a couple who then adopts or takes legal custody of the child. It is also called ‘mothering by proxy’.

When a woman agrees to carry a child to term for another individual, who then becomes the legal parent of the child, it is called ‘surrogate parenthood’.  Surrogate mothers are often used by women who are unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy through to term.  This typically happens through the implanting of an embryo fertilised by the man’s sperm (this process is called ‘artificial insemination’). The surrogate mother relinquishes her parental rights the moment the child is born. Also, when the intended mother can produce fertile eggs but cannot carry a child to term, the intended mother’s egg is removed and combined with the husband’s sperm in a process called in-vitro fertilisation. The biological father automatically becomes the legal father, while the non-biological parent adopts the child.

There are two main types of surrogacy – traditional and gestational.  Traditional surrogacy involves the artificial fertilisation of the surrogate mother using the father’s sperm. The surrogate mother is, therefore, the biological mother of the child. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother is implanted with an embryo created from the father’s sperm and his wife’s egg. The advantage of gestational surrogacy is the opportunity to have a child genetically related to both parents.

The most fundamental challenge of this type of ART is in getting an ideal surrogate, in terms of good health, noble character, good personality fit and good legal backing. There is also a need for a surrogacy agent who assists in drafting a surrogacy contract or agreement both for the legal parents and the surrogate parent. This is crucial and can prevent serious legal problems down the road. If the surrogate mother changes her mind and wants to keep the baby, for example, the contract will compel her to relinquish the baby to its rightful parents.

Even though this practice is not as common in Africa as it in the western world, it has put smiles on the face of many couples. There are many couples out there wondering if surrogacy motherhood could be an option I’m of the opinion that if you can afford the expenses, it may not be a bad idea.

-Funmi Akingbade

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