FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill O’Reilly
212-396-9117

Statement by Jennifer Lahl
President, Center for Bioethics and Culture Network
On Ban of Surrogacy Tourism in India
October 29, 2015

“Who would have thought that the government of India would act before the U.S. government to protect its low income women from exploitative surrogacy tourism? But that’s exactly what the Indian Council of Medical Research is working to do: It has proposed banning foreign travelers from pouring into India in search of impoverished women who would carry their children for a few thousand rupees.

“But here in the U.S. the practice goes unabated with virtually no government oversight, even after an Idaho surrogate mother died this month carrying twins, reportedly for a Spanish couple. Indeed, low income American women, especially financially struggling military wives, are increasingly being targeted to act as paid surrogates. Where’s the protection for them?

“This is a huge step forward for exploited women in India, but it’s still open season on poor American moms having nothing to sell but their wombs.”

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