Assisted Reproductive Technology – Surrogacy: An Ethical Dilemma

 It has long been assumed that a woman's most important right is to be a mother, but today, it takes quite a bit of proof to be called the mother of a child. Who came first, the parent who became a parent or the parent who gave birth? Or do both need to be present in order for it to be referred to as one? Such repugnant arguments are the outcome of internalized societal shifts. Regrettably, it has come time for authorities and ethics committees to decide who the mother of the child is. Simply insert a needle and perform a DNA or birth test. These tests are pointless. The transformations that society is experiencing now have both benefits and drawbacks. Both positive and negative developments are absorbed by society. To determine if something is excellent or harmful, society even sets the scale. But, it seems somewhat terrible to go through the anguish of bearing a child inside of oneself for nine months and then give the baby away after delivery. Renting a mother's womb is not permissible under any circumstances, regardless of the contracts that have been written, the amount of money that has been spent, or the number of prior unsuccessful attempts. For the very cause, surrogacy is creating an ethical dilemma, especially in Pakistan. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) techniques being employed in surrogacy are increasingly common infertility alternatives. The introduction, historical context, types, and popularity of surrogacy, as well as several ethical concerns it raises and how it deviates from bioethics, are all briefly covered in this chapter. The information will help in finding answers to various surrogacy-related questions on dignity, exploitation, rights, and the use of women's bodies as commodities. 

Keywords: Assisted reproductive technology, Adoption laws, Abortion, Bioethics principles, Commercialization, Child custody, Ethical issues, Healthcare sector, History, In vitro fertilization, Prevalence, Pre-designed babies, Recommendations, Religion, Surrogacy, Test tube baby.