Hyderabad: India has around 18 to 25 million infertile couples seeking help from fertility centres but are uncomfortable discussing their condition with close family members as infertility is considered a stigma. The biggest problem faced in Indian families is finding a woman from within the close family circle who is willing to be a surrogate mother.
Gynaecologist Dr Laxmi Sharda said it was a very difficult task to pick a surrogate from among close family members as the couples were not not comfortable with idea.
“They would bear their own child but not come forward to help a member in the family due to various psychological and social reasons. The clause in the recently proposed surrogacy Bill that the surrogate must be a close family member will drive many infertile couples into a state of distress.”
Couples generally do not discuss in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or third-party reproduction (surrogacy) with close relatives. It is kept a secret as far as possible. Given this scenario in India how are altruistic close relatives to be found? The bill also does not define the term close family member. Who will identify or define who is a close relative of the couple? Experts fear that the proposed law might even lead to break-up of marriages and lead to an increase in second marriages.
Dr K K Aggarwal, president of the Indian Medical Association, said, “Till date no surrogate has complained of ill treatment. The government could have defined a reasonable compensation for renting the womb instead of a ban.”
Also, the waiting period of five years makes gyneacologists wary. Dr P Sinha, senior gyneacologist, said, “There are young women whose ovary reserves of eggs are getting over at the age of 26 years. If they marry at 18 years of age they are denied treatment as the 5-year-waiting period is to be completed. Also, what about women marrying at 40 years of age? Are they not to bear children?”
Doctors say these clauses are unwarranted and have to be discussed in detail by the government. They are going to harm infertile couples in the long run and take away the hope that they too can have a biological child in the future.
