Main worry is health of surrogate mother
While commodifying
motherhood and financial exploitation are the main arguments hurled
against surrogacy in the US, Japanese worry more about the risk of
childbirth. A report by a committee of the Japan’s Science Council
recently concluded that surrogacy should be banned, apart from
further clinical research into the risks. About five in every 100,000
mothers die during childbirth, and passing this risk on to a third
party bothers Japanese ethicists. The report also noted that some
women could be coerced into surrogacy and that children might may
suffer psychological damage if they discovered the story of their
birth. However, the report concluded that if the procedure is not
risky, it could be allowed. Some academics argue that a right to bear
children is implicit in the Japanese Constitution. ~ Yomiuri
Shimbun, Mar 25

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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