Surrogacy Law Curbed Exploitation Of Rural Women
The enactment of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, has significantly reduced the exploitation of vulnerable and illiterate women coming from rural backgrounds by fertility centres that offer surrogacy services.
Hyderabad: The enactment of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, has significantly reduced the exploitation of vulnerable and illiterate women coming from rural backgrounds by fertility centres that offer surrogacy services.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Dr Vasundara Cheepurupalli, senior consultant gynaecologist at KIMS Cuddles, said, “Earlier, rural women were being used for surrogacy because it was cheaper here compared to other countries. Middlemen exploited both the couples and the surrogate mothers. The women were paid very little while agents reaped huge profits.”
In many cases, she said surrogate mothers were not even allowed to see the baby after delivery. “Many of the women used to agree to become surrogates only because of the financial benefit, not because they wanted to help the couple. Once the surrogacy law came into effect, many centres stopped offering surrogacy services. As a result, the number of surrogate mothers from rural backgrounds has come down very drastically,” she explained.
Dr K. Shilpi Reddy, clinical director at KIMS Cuddles Kondapur, compared the earlier system to a mafia-like setup. “Surrogacy in the past was mostly about money; many of the women came from difficult backgrounds and had habits that were not healthy during pregnancy. We had to work hard to ensure proper care, but exploitation was common.”
With the new law in place, she said surrogacy is allowed only if a close relative or known person voluntarily agrees to be a surrogate without commercial payment. This ensures that both the surrogate and the child are protected legally and emotionally.
Dr Swati, a gynaecologist, said, “We used to see many rural women taking up surrogacy, mostly for money. But now, with the new law and stricter process, the number has reduced drastically.”
According to Dr Krishna Chaitanya, chief embryologist, the number of surrogacy cases, especially involving rural women, has gone down. “Earlier, agencies would arrange everything, including the surrogate. Now, couples have to go through a strict legal process involving medical boards, magistrate approval, and verification by the health department,” he explained.
He added that while the current law allows only altruistic surrogacy, meaning no money beyond medical expenses can be paid, there are still concerns about informal payments. “It is important for people to follow the law. Otherwise, they may face issues with the child’s custody or legal documents like birth certificates,” he said.
