Please note: Surrogacy in India is permitted only as altruistic surrogacy under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, for eligible couples with a medical indication and the required certificates. Our team will explain eligibility and the legal process during your consultation.
What is Surrogacy Treatment?
Surrogacy treatment is a method of assisted reproduction. The word surrogate originates from the Latin word Surrogatus (substitution), meaning ‘to act in the place of’. The term surrogacy is used when a woman undergoes pregnancy and gives birth to a baby for another woman.
Types of Surrogacy
- IVF / Gestational surrogacy
- Traditional / Natural surrogacy
IVF / Gestational Surrogacy
This is the most common form of surrogacy. In this procedure, a woman undergoes pregnancy created by the egg and sperm of the genetic couple. The egg of the wife is fertilized in vitro by the husband’s sperm by IVF/ICSI, and the embryo is transferred into the surrogate’s uterus, and the surrogate carries the pregnancy for nine months. The child is not genetically linked to the surrogate.
- Primarily, IVF surrogacy is indicated in women whose ovaries are producing eggs, but they do not have a uterus. For example, in the following cases:
- Congenital absence of uterus (Mullerian agenesis)
- Surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) due to cancer, severe hemorrhage in a Caesarian section, or a ruptured uterus.
- A woman whose uterus is malformed (Unicornuate uterus, T shaped uterus, Bicornuate uterus with rudimentary horn) or is damaged (T.B of the endometrium, severe Asherman’s Syndrome) or at a high risk of rupture, (previous uterine surgeries for rupture uterus or fibroid uterus) and is unable to carry pregnancy to term can also be recommended for IVF surrogacy.
- Women who have repeated miscarriages or have repeated failed IVF cycles may be advised to undergo IVF surrogacy in view of unexplained factors which could be responsible for failed implantation and early pregnancy wastage.
- Women who suffer from medical problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, or kidney diseases like chronic nephritis, whose long-term prospect for health prospects are good, but pregnancy would be life-threatening.
- Woman with Rh incompatibility.
Traditional / Natural surrogacy
This is where the surrogate is inseminated or an IVF/ICSI procedure is performed with sperm from the male partner of an infertile couple. This is recommended in the following cases:
- Women who have no functioning ovaries due to premature ovarian failure. Here, Egg Donation can also be an option.
- A woman who is at risk of passing a genetic disease to her offspring may also opt for traditional surrogacy.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for surrogacy in India?
Under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, legally married Indian couples within the age limits and with a certified medical indication, and Indian women who are widowed or divorced and aged 35 to 45. Unmarried couples and single men are not included. Surrogacy eligibility explained.
Can the surrogate be paid?
No. Only altruistic surrogacy is legal. The couple pays the surrogate's medical expenses and must buy 36 months of insurance cover for her; any other payment would make it commercial, which is an offence.
Can we start IVF before the surrogacy certificates arrive?
Sometimes your specialist may advise an IVF cycle with embryo freezing while applications are in progress, but no embryo can be transferred to a surrogate until the certificates are issued. The legal process step by step.
The information on this website is for general education and does not replace a consultation. Treatment plans and outcomes differ from person to person; no treatment can guarantee pregnancy or a live birth.