Malathy Iyer | The Times of India | Mumbai | 30 September 2008
Having a test-tube baby may now involve hiring a lawyer along with a doctor. India’s new draft rules on infertility state that couples who need a surrogate mother will have to approach a semen bank instead of an infertility specialist to make a selection.
Welcome to the future of infertility treatment as envisaged by the new Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill & Rules, 2008. The bill, which was posted online on Monday to invite public comment over the following month, has triggered mixed responses. It’s likely to be passed in the next parliamentary session.
While many fear that the new rules-along with the mountainous paperwork-will only increase costs, an equal number feel that the new laws protect all the parties involved, from the parents and surrogate women to the child and the doctors.