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Monday, March 10, 2008 12:00 AM

In India, there's big money in wombs

Some say it's only a matter of time before people "smell the money" of reproductive outsourcing.

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  • Monday, March 10, 2008 05:00 PM

    this is a complicated issue

    I am really torn about this issue. On one hand, I think women should be allowed to decide what they can and cannot do with their bodies, and if pregnancy is "work" then I think $7,500-$15,000 for 9 months work is a fantastic wage for these women. That's a lot of money in India and will certainly help raise these women's standard of living significantly, possibly permanently.

    On the other hand, pregnancy can be dangerous, even in clinics such as these where the women get (I assume) good medical care. What happens when the first surrogate dies from preeclampsia? When looked at in this light, surrogacy seems more like organ donation than anything else, and I am definitely creeped out by the idea of poor women selling kidneys to rich world customers.

    In the end, I think this issue is too complex for black-and-white analysis. If there are going to be surrogates (and there will be), I think the best answer is to regulate the hell out of the industry to ensure good care and excellent wages for the surrogates.

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