Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child on behalf of another person or couple who will become the childs parent(s) after birth. There are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate's egg is fertilized by the intended father's or a donor's sperm, while in gestational surrogacy, the embryo is created by fertilizing eggs from the intended mother or an egg donor with sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor. Gestational surrogacy is more common than traditional surrogacy and is considered less legally complex.
Surrogacy is often an option for women who are unable to carry children on their own due to reasons such as an abnormal uterus, a complete absence of a uterus, or complications in childbirth such as heavy bleeding. Surrogacy can be a complex process, and it is important for everyone involved to have counseling as part of the process. In Australia, only altruistic surrogacy is allowed, which means that it is illegal to pay the surrogate for her role beyond reimbursing her for medical and other reasonable expenses.
