Thread by @WombsNotForRent

So interesting to listen to Clémence from @PdfQuebec

Where states are keen to promote #surrogacy it seems they all sing from the same songbook.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fem…

Only consult with interested parties or “stakeholders” ie lawyers, hopeful commissioning parents, fertility clinics.

Exclude feminists and women’s organisations.

Quebec ✅ UK @Law_Commission ✅

Low minimum age of surrogate mothers. ✅

Quebec: 21 UK: 18

No requirement for potential surrogate mothers to have previously had a successful pregnancy.

Quebec ✅ UK ✅

A great way to have a year off work. ✅

Quebec: Time for further education
UK : Time with own children.

(About 3 minutes in)

Claiming surrogate pregnancies are no higher risk than other IVF donor egg conceived pregnancies. ✅

The correct comparator is a low risk naturally conceived pregnancy as surrogate mothers are typically young, healthy, fertile - a different medical population to IVF patients.

Women who had straightforward easy naturally conceived pregnancies are shocked when obstetric complications arise in a surrogate pregnancy.

Wherever there is a demand for surrogacy the narrative is like a script - of altruism, generosity and the joy of helping build families by gifting a baby.
Always sexist stereotypes demanding women take all the risk to be kind.
Quebec ✅ UK ✅

And isn’t it funny how the media overwhelmingly paint surrogacy as a picture of joy, focussing on the commissioning parents whilst the woman who gave birth to the baby is barely mentioned.

Quebec ✅ UK ✅

And the lack of diverse point of view, including discussion of the harms of surrogacy is perpetuated in university social science departments where researchers are overwhelmingly pro surrogacy & manage to produce highly biased research, usually involving very small numbers. ✅✅