Kallie Fell, Executive Director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, discusses the ethical, social, and human costs of the domestic surrogacy industry, highlighting its exploitation of women and commodification of children. The presentation calls for a reevaluation of policies and cultural attitudes that normalize surrogacy as a commercial transaction, challenging its portrayal as an act of compassion or empowerment.
Helen Lewis's article in The Atlantic explores surrogacy through a personal lens, highlighting troubling cases of surrogate exploitation but also including positive stories, ultimately failing to fully confront the systemic ethical issues involved. The article notably omits discussion of children's rights and the consequences of commercial surrogacy contracts, while framing opposition narrowly and not addressing broader concerns raised by diverse groups about the commodification of women's reproductive labor and children.
For more than two decades, the Center for Bioethics and Culture has warned that surrogacy is not simply another way to “build a family.” It is a practice that turns pregnancy into a service, places women’s bodies under contract, separates children from their birth mothers by design, and has created a global industry that profits […] The post The World Is Waking Up to the Harms of Surrogacy appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
It feels like whiplash at the CBC. Everywhere we turn, someone is talking about surrogacy. After years of euphemisms and carefully crafted messaging, the realities of commercial surrogacy are finally breaking into the mainstream. A growing number of high-profile cases are exposing what the industry has worked hard to obscure: surrogacy depends upon profound disparities […] The post Surrogacy Gets a Reckoning appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Kyla Simpson’s story has become one of the clearest examples of the legal and ethical failures that can arise in commercial surrogacy. After giving birth to triplet boys for an intended parent in China, Kyla unexpectedly became their full-time caregiver when the intended parent never came to the United States to take custody of the […] The post Why International Commercial Surrogacy is Not Just Another Fertility Service appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
This month, the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services held an interim hearing to examine ethical concerns surrounding surrogacy, including the exploitation of women, international surrogacy arrangements, and gaps in existing law. The hearing was convened in response to an interim charge directing lawmakers to study the impact of foreign interests in Texas’s […] The post Jennifer Lahl’s Remarks on Surrogacy before the Texas Senate Committee on Health & Human Services appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 4, 2026 — At the Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC), we have long argued that surrogacy law in the United States contains serious gaps that leave women and children vulnerable to exploitation and harm. Today, those concerns are finally receiving attention at the federal level. Rep. Scott Perry has introduced two […] The post Closing the Surrogacy Loopholes No One Should Have Left Open: Protecting Children in the Surrogacy Era appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Leading fertility organizations including ASPIRE, ESHRE, ASRM, and IFFS have proposed global consensus guidelines on surrogacy at the ASPIRE Congress 2026, aiming to establish minimum standards for surrogacy practices worldwide. These guidelines have been criticized for ignoring the United Nations' call for the abolition of surrogacy due to exploitation risks, and for being developed without the input of surrogate mothers or independent human rights experts, raising concerns that they serve to preserve rather than dismantle the surrogacy industry.
Coauthored with Stop Surrogacy Now UK The recent police raid on the home of Barrie Drewitt-Barlow in the UK—linked in reporting to a human trafficking investigation—has reignited scrutiny over the surrogacy industry and the legal structures surrounding it. According to reporting, Essex Police carried out coordinated searches as part of an investigation into allegations including […] The post The Dark Side of Surrogacy: Loopholes, Predators, Fraud, & Systemic Failure appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Kallie Fell discussed concerns about surrogacy on The Birth Lounge Podcast, highlighting issues such as exploitation, commodification, and the separation of biological, gestational, and social motherhood. The conversation also covered surrogate health risks, potential long-term impacts on children conceived through IVF, and the complex legal challenges related to contracts, autonomy, and representation.
Germany's Embryo Protection Act is facing significant political pressure due to new legislative proposals that seek to legalize surrogacy and egg donation. These changes raise concerns about the commercialization of human life, the exploitation of women's bodies, and the right of every child to know their genetic identity.
The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network is hosting an online conference titled 'Rethinking Surrogacy: Philosophical, Psychological, & Biomedical Insights' on February 28, 2026. The event will feature five key presentations exploring the bonds between mother and fetus, intrauterine memory, experiences of women involved, and biomedical consequences for surrogate mothers, egg donors, and newborns.
Meghan Trainor recently announced the birth of her newest child through surrogacy, a practice increasingly normalized by wealthy and influential figures. The Center for Bioethics & Culture highlights concerns about the ethical implications of surrogacy, emphasizing the child's perspective and the separation of biological and gestational parentage inherent in the process.
Following recent conversations on Capitol Hill about the growing harms of the fertility industry, Representatives today issued a press release expressing support for the SAFE KIDS Act—legislation previously introduced by Sen. Rick Scott to protect children from exploitation within the commercial fertility and surrogacy industry, including abuses tied to foreign adversaries. This moment underscores what the Center for Bioethics […] The post From Washington, D.C. to the front lines of reproductive policy, the truth is coming into focus. appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Networ
Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry: Review of Surrogacy Laws Response to Discussion Paper (2025) We are deeply disappointed that the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Discussion Paper promotes the removal of so-called “barriers” to surrogacy in Australia, signaling an intention to expand and normalize surrogacy as a large-scale social and economic practice. Rather […] The post Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission: Review of Surrogacy Laws appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Back in July 2025, the CBC submitted a response to the initial national consultation on surrogacy reform through the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) inquiry. In that submission, we warned that weakening safeguards would expose women and children to ethical, social, and human-rights harms. This week, Western Australia passed its new surrogacy bill — and […] The post A Troubling Step: Western Australia’s New Surrogacy Bill and What It Means appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
CBC Executive Director Kallie Fell joins Phillipa Taylor with the International Christian Medical & Dental Association on Webinar #272: Egg freezing and embryo adoption. In this webinar, they explore the ethical and social implications of egg freezing and embryo adoption. Marketed as empowering choices for women and hopeful parents, both practices are often driven by […] The post Egg freezing and embryo adoption: ICMDA Webinar with Kallie Fell appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Remarks by Jennifer Lahl to be presented on November 19th before the European Parliament This has always been a debate between those who call for Regulation vs. those who call for Abolishment Most people see the inherent risk of abuse in surrogacy arrangements, especially compensation surrogacy arrangements and think the way forward is through regulation […] The post European Parliament Remarks on The Invisible Victims Women & Children: The True Exploited in the Reproductive Market appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
We’ve all heard it before: a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have. It’s a fundamental truth of biology and has always defined the boundaries of reproduction. But what happens if this biological reality is no longer fact? What if we could take an ordinary skin cell and transform it into […] The post In vitro gametogenesis—The manufacture of human eggs & embryos: The Dystopian Future of IVF (Part 2) appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
The Center for Bioethics and Culture has submitted a response to a new surrogacy consultation in the UK, hosted by the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST). POST is a parliamentary service which exists to distribute academic research and briefings (POSTnotes) to parliamentarians. POST has launched a consultation on surrogacy and we have filed our response […] The post Surrogacy in the UK appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
The Center for Bioethics and Culture welcomes the July 2025 report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, which offers a sobering assessment of surrogacy. The report leaves no doubt: surrogacy is not empowerment—it is exploitation. The official report is yet to be presented to the UN general assembly in […] The post Surrogacy at the UN: A Global Call to Protect Women and Children appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Headlines recently announced a groundbreaking—but deeply troubling—development: scientists in Guangzhou, China, are developing the world’s first pregnancy-simulating humanoid robot, outfitted with an artificial womb capable of carrying a fetus from conception through to delivery.[1] This prototype, expected to be ready by 2026 and priced under ¥100,000 (approximately US $14,000), is described by its creators as a […] The post A Mechanized Womb: A Call for Human-Centered Ethics in Reproductive Technology appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Realities of Embryo Adoption What patients and providers need to know What Is Embryo Adoption? Embryo adoption refers to the transfer of frozen embryos originally created by another couple to a person or couple. The intended mother undergoes IVF to carry and raise the resulting child. It usually involves legal contracts and matching programs run […] The post Realities of Embryo Adoption appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
The Australian Law Reform Commission is soliciting submissions for their Surrogacy Reform Issues Paper. The Issues Paper introduces our inquiry and explains what we have been asked to do. It provides a brief overview of surrogacy laws in Australia. The Issues Paper also sets out some principles we may use to guide reform and lists […] The post Australian Law Reform Commission: Submission on the Review of Surrogacy Laws appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
The Center for Bioethics and Culture submitted a formal letter opposing Pennsylvania’s HB350 because it prioritizes contractual arrangements over the rights and welfare of children and women. By permitting paid surrogacy and establishing parentage by contract, HB350 dangerously commodifies children and exploits women’s reproductive labor. It also weakens critical safeguards—such as background checks and home […] The post Opposition to HB 350, “Uniform Parentage Act” – Potential Harm in Surrogacy and Parental Safeguards appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Erika, a 35-year-old single mother of two, experienced severe health complications and emotional trauma during and after her surrogacy pregnancy, including hyperemesis, carbon monoxide poisoning, and toxic mold exposure, while being controlled and isolated by the intended parents under a strict contract. After giving birth prematurely, Erika was denied contact with the baby and felt discarded and unappreciated, highlighting the potential physical and emotional risks and ethical concerns in the surrogacy industry.
The Center for Bioethics & Culture submitted to the United Nations the following letter as a response to the call for input to the thematic report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls to the General Assembly 80th session on surrogacy and violence against women and girls. Surrogacy presents complex ethical, legal, […] The post The Human Rights Challenges of Surrogacy: A Response to the UN Office of the High Commissioner appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
First and foremost, surrogacy raises profound ethical concerns, particularly when funded by taxpayer dollars. The process often involves complex contractual agreements that can lead to the exploitation of economically vulnerable women, who may feel pressured into becoming surrogates due to financial hardship. The potential for coercion and inequality in such arrangements must not be overlooked, […] The post CBC Testimony on H.B. No. 7022: An Act Promoting Equity In Medicaid Coverage for Fertility Health Care appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
Kallie Fell and Jennifer Lahl from the Center for Bioethics & Culture Network visited Minnesota to educate legislators about the risks and ethical concerns related to the fertility and surrogacy industries. Minnesota currently has no specific laws permitting or prohibiting surrogacy, but efforts by the fertility industry to change this are being actively opposed by these advocates.
The CBC Network is proud to support international efforts to protect the dignity of women and babies whenever and wherever we can. Recently, we were able to support two French organizations working to educate about the “flagrant human rights violations” rampant in surrogacy. These organizations relied on the stories of surrogate mothers Gloria (featured here) […] The post Supporting International Bioethics Efforts appeared first on The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network .
