ABSTRACT
Surrogacy has been described as baby selling, womb renting, an exploitation of women, and a miracle cure for infertile couples. The controversy surrounding surrogacy focuses attention on conflicting values, ambiguous social norms, changed social roles, and questionable legal standards. Surrogacy becomes a prism through which we can view social and, often contradictory, cultural meanings about family and parenthood. In the United States, surrogacy process is frequently accomplished through the assistance of a third party or broker. The broker matches couples with women who are willing to act as their surrogates. The broker facilitates the selection of a surrogate, the artificial insemination, the medical care during pregnancy and birth, and the contract specifying rights and obligations of the parties involved. The commercial use of women to act as surrogates during pregnancy formally separates the role of mother into two categories: biological mother, or surrogate, and social mother.
