The state of surrogacy in the Indo-Pacific

CHOOSING to have a child via surrogacy or choosing to become a surrogate mother raises many ethical, legal, social and economic considerations.

While laws in countries like India, China, Thailand and Cambodia have been revised in recent years in attempts to outlaw problematic aspects of surrogacy, experts say outright bans of commercial surrogacy are not always the best option.

There are also concerns that current legislation, religious and social views prevent people from accessing surrogacy when they need it, at a time when fertility rates are falling across the world.

New thinking is needed to overcome many of these issues.

Ria Ernunsari is the Senior Commissioning Editor, 360info Southeast Asia