The debate on surrogacy in our country is not new. In Spain it is not an illegal practice, but there are many couples who travel to other countries to fulfill their dream of becoming parents through surrogacy, also known as "rent bellies."
The issue is again debate after Citizens have registered a new Wednesday bill of law in the Congress of Deputies to regulate "the right" to the surrogacy in Spain.
It contemplates that the pregnant woman may have consanguinity relationship with future parents. That is your mother or your sister, for example, can gestate your baby for you altruistically if you can't.
In the last legislature, the party of Albert Rivera had proposed legal, free and altruistic surrogacy, and now he does it again "with some changes and technical improvements to provide greater security to the law."
Pregnant relatives
The main novelty with respect to the previous proposal is that it allows the pregnant woman may have a relationship of consanguinity with future parents "unless there are previous mandatory psychological reports that advise against it."
What does it mean to have a "relationship of consanguinity"? The blood relatives they are those who share blood for having a common relative.
The relationship of consanguinity can be by direct upline (parents, grandparents, etc.) or falling (children, grandchildren, etc.), or by collateral line (brothers, uncles, cousins, etc.). What is not specified in the text of the law is whether all degrees of consanguinity would be allowed.
In Babies and more Her mother-in-law, 50, managed and gave birth to her baby through surrogacyThe main points of the bill
In addition to the most relevant novelty of consanguineity, the main points included in the text are:
The pregnant woman must be over 25 years of age and "under the age established by regulation according to the psychophysical conditions deemed appropriate for successful pregnancy."
It does not provide its own genetic material, but rather "Donate your ability to gestate" altruistically to third parties.
The pregnant woman will have to "be in possession of full capacity to act", "have Spanish nationality or legal residence in Spain", "not have a criminal record" and, have at least one child born before.
Couples formed by individuals of the same or different sex could opt for surrogacy.
The process will not be “lucrative or commercial”, although a “compensation will be paid” to the pregnant woman to “cover the expenses strictly derived from physical discomfort, travel and work, and the loss of earnings inherent in the gestation. "
The pregnant woman will benefit from insurance that will be taken by future parents.
The pregnant woman should receive legal advice that guarantees the understanding of the entire process and its implications. This advice will be independent of that of the subrogated parent (s).
Regarding the termination of pregnancy, it must be carried out "within the assumptions recognized by the general legislation, in full exercise of its autonomy and without any negative consequences for it".
Will it go ahead? The other parties do not agree with the Citizens initiative. The PP mostly rejects it, as does Vox, which proposes foster care and adoption “as alternatives to abortion and rent bellies”.
PSOE and United We can also be opposed to surrogacy gestation arguing the "commercialization of the body of women" and the situation of women who lend themselves to it only for money. However, in the case of being an altruistic gestation among relatives, the case would not occur.
For its part, the Spanish Bioethics Committee (under the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality) also strongly opposes and asks that the practice of surrogacy be prohibited, not only in our country but throughout the world.
In Babies and more After nine abortions and three years of fertility treatments, her sister gave birth to her twins through surrogacyAltruistic surrogacy
In other countries where surrogacy is regulated by law, there are many cases we have known of close relatives who are gestating and giving birth to babies for their daughters, their sisters, cousins, and even women who have offered to carry in their womb To the son of his best friend.
It is also common in the case of couples of homosexual men in which the mother of one of them, a sister or a friend lends itself to pregnancy surrogacy altruistically.
The debate is back on the table, both in politics and on the street. What do you think of the new law of surrogacy between relatives proposed by Citizens?
