OLYMPICS/ Culture
Surrogate mothers cashing in
By Shan Juan (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-28 09:28
Moreover, surrogate motherhood remains an area untouched by national laws, allowing business to flourish.
"It's a complicated issue involving ethical concerns and social norms," a staff worker surnamed Ma with the MOH's information office told China Daily.
"Therefore, it's difficult to produce legislation on surrogacy bans."
Couples are quite willing to spend as much as 200,000 yuan, which includes the maintenance fee for the surrogate mother and commission for the broker.
The surrogacy agency, AA69 claimed it helped get more than 20 successful matches a month.
Many young women, called "volunteers" at AA69, some with master's degrees, become surrogate mothers.
Feminists have been particularly vocal opponents of surrogate motherhood, saying it is an abuse of the female body.
But for women in agony over their own infertility, such arguments do little to justify reasons for them not to seek out a surrogate mother for a child of their own.
"Infertile men can turn to sperm banks for help starting a family."
"Why can't I find a surrogate mom to have a baby who would liven up my marriage and my whole life?" one client of AA69, surnamed Feng, said.
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