N. B. Sarojini & Aastha Sharma | Hindustan Times | 7 Aug 2008
‘Looking for healthy, good-looking lady from decent family for surrogate mother. Attractive features and education are also desirable. Confidentiality, good facilities and reward assured. Age below 30 and caste Hindu must. Apply box number….”.
Numerous such advertisements find their way into magazines and newspapers each day. Surrogacy is the practice of gestating a child for another couple/man/woman and could involve any of the various Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) like IVF (in-vitro fertilisation), IUI (Intra-Uterine Insemination) etc. Surrogacy has gathered much attention of late due to the increase in the number of couples opting for surrogacy as well as of the women acting as surrogates. The fertility market is estimated at Rs 25,000 crore today, with reproductive tourism industry growing by leaps and bounds. The past two years have seen a 150 per cent rise in surrogacy cases in India. The Gujarat town of Anand, for example, is a hub of surrogate mothers. Currently in the news is Manji Yamada, the daughter of a Japanese couple, born in Anand on July 25.