Though it has existed since the early 2000s, the industry exploded in Ukraine after India and Thailand outlawed commercial surrogacy for foreigners.
Eastern European country Ukraine is one of the few countries in the world allowing commercial surrogacy for foreigners. Due to this boom in the surrogacy industry, childless couples are flocking to Ukraine.
There are no official statistics, but experts say between 2,500 and 3,000 children are born every year through surrogacy in Ukraine for foreign parents. About a third of customers are Chinese.
Though it has existed since the early 2000s, the industry exploded in Ukraine after India and Thailand outlawed commercial surrogacy for foreigners about five years ago.
One of the poorest countries in Europe, the post-Soviet nation is also known for its attractive prices, with birth through a surrogate costing about USD 42,000. In the United States, it can cost more than twice as much.
The Cost
As per the rules, intended parents are generally required to be married heterosexual couples and to have proof of their infertility diagnosis.
The average price of surrogate pregnancy in Ukraine is said to be between 25,000 (Rs 22 lakh) and 70,000 euros (Rs 61 lakh).
Kyiv-based surrogacy clinic BioTexCom, which is said to have facilitated close to half of the surrogate pregnancies in the country, charges around 39,900 euros for the procedure.
For 'two attempts at baby sex selection' the price rises to 49,900 euros, while for 'unlimited attempts' the cost is 64,900 euros, according to a price list on BioTexCom's official website.
The Reality
Though this industry has given hope to thousands of struggling would-be parents, behind their dream-come-true is a murky business that thrives on taking advantage of desperate young women.
The industry is poorly regulated and rife with abuse and corruption, with many now dubbing it as 'an international online baby store'.
Many surrogate mothers complained of not getting their promised payments, while others said that they were made to live in terrible conditions during the later stages of their pregnancies.
In some cases, parents have discovered they have no genetic link with children born to surrogates.
(With Agency Inputs)
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