Pune doctors say there has been an increasing number of inquiries from gay couples, from India as well as abroad, wanting to know if they can hire a womb.
In-vitro fertilisation experts say they’re getting many more enquiries, both from India and abroad
PUNE: “Hello! We’d like to find out if we could get a surrogate to bear a child for us in India. We’re a male same-sex couple who’ve been together for 9 years. We are not rich, but we lead a comfortable and happy life. At present, we both work, but once the baby comes, one of us will stay home to watch the children.”
An in-vitro fertilisation expert in the city had no idea how to respond to this inquiry. Pune doctors say there has been an increasing number of inquiries from gay couples, from India as well as abroad, wanting to know if they can hire a womb.
According to Dr Shehbaaz Daruwala, director of a Pune fertility centre, it’s not only career-conscious women, but gay couples have started scouting for surrogate mothers too. “Of late, I have been receiving a number of inquiries same sex couples,” he says.
Another IVF expert says she got an email from a gay couple in Europe, wanting to know if both partners could give their sperm to the same egg donor. “We want our children to have a genetic link through the donor,” Brett, one of the partners, wrote.
“Ideally we would like for the egg donor to be willing to meet the children at some stage so they can meet the lady whose uterus they came from. We think this may also be good for the children’s mental well-being,” they wrote, explaining that there were many children with gay parents in the area where they live, “so these children fit in well with kids here. We have the support of our families, so our children would be surrounded by lots of love.”
IVF consultant Sunita Tandulwadkar says even single men and women, some of whom are foreigners, have made inquiries with doctors in Pune, exploring the possibility of surrogacy. “Earlier, we usually had cases of women who could not have children due to medical reasons, or career-conscious women; but now the trend seems to have changed,” she says.
She points out that such inquiries are not entertained. “I refuse any such request because I personally believe in ethical medical procedures, taking into account the overall growth and development of the child. Unfortunately, same-sex couple adoption may not provide enough for the maturity of the infant,” she says.
Daruwala, however, has a different take on the issue, “Though most enquiries are made on the phone or over email, because of the social stigma attached to same-sex surrogacy, it is commendable that these couples are coming forward. This proves that society is changing and there is greater awareness among them,” he says. “Personally, I don’t see the need for the government to take any concrete steps until the relationship between these couples is recognised.”
One reason for the increasing number of inquiries from abroad, doctors feel, is that Pune is known for its medical infrastructure. “The city has been doing quite well in terms of medical tourism, and we have had quite a few cases of surrogacy in the past,” says Daruwala.
Medical experts, however, say they are hesitant about social implications related to bringing up children once the couples return to their countries. “There are some grey areas and the law still seems unclear,” said an IVF expert, referring to an email request where the couple wanted to know whether “the genetic father’s name would be penned on the birth certificate of the child if the baby were born in India?”
k_siddhartha@dnaindia.net
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