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Being questioned as parents : An interview study with Swedish commissioning parents using transnational surrogacy

Arvidsson, Anna ; Johnsdotter, Sara ; Emmelin, Maria LU and Essén, Birgitta LU (2019) In Reproductive Biomedicine and Society Online 8. p.23-31
Abstract

This study sought to explore how Swedish parents who had commissioned surrogacy abroad experienced the process of parenthood recognition. The study consisted of in-depth interviews with five couples and 10 individuals representing 10 additional couples who had used surrogacy abroad, mainly in India. The construction of motherhood and fatherhood in the Swedish system contradicts how parenthood is defined in the surrogacy process. This study found that the formal recognition of parenthood involved a complex and frustrating process where the presumption of fatherhood and step-child adoption as grounds for parenthood make people feel questioned as parents, negatively affecting parental welfare. Policy makers need to take into account the... (More)

This study sought to explore how Swedish parents who had commissioned surrogacy abroad experienced the process of parenthood recognition. The study consisted of in-depth interviews with five couples and 10 individuals representing 10 additional couples who had used surrogacy abroad, mainly in India. The construction of motherhood and fatherhood in the Swedish system contradicts how parenthood is defined in the surrogacy process. This study found that the formal recognition of parenthood involved a complex and frustrating process where the presumption of fatherhood and step-child adoption as grounds for parenthood make people feel questioned as parents, negatively affecting parental welfare. Policy makers need to take into account the consequences of an unregulated situation regarding surrogacy, and focus more on the child–parent relationship when regulating surrogacy.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
assisted reproduction, commissioning parents, India, parenthood, Sweden, transnational surrogacy
in
Reproductive Biomedicine and Society Online
volume
8
pages
9 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:30911689
  • scopus:85062689962
ISSN
2405-6618
DOI
10.1016/j.rbms.2018.08.001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
636804c2-41b6-4e39-8e15-10ba31ff45be
date added to LUP
2019-03-19 09:03:31
date last changed
2024-04-01 21:57:25
@article{636804c2-41b6-4e39-8e15-10ba31ff45be,
  abstract     = {{<p>This study sought to explore how Swedish parents who had commissioned surrogacy abroad experienced the process of parenthood recognition. The study consisted of in-depth interviews with five couples and 10 individuals representing 10 additional couples who had used surrogacy abroad, mainly in India. The construction of motherhood and fatherhood in the Swedish system contradicts how parenthood is defined in the surrogacy process. This study found that the formal recognition of parenthood involved a complex and frustrating process where the presumption of fatherhood and step-child adoption as grounds for parenthood make people feel questioned as parents, negatively affecting parental welfare. Policy makers need to take into account the consequences of an unregulated situation regarding surrogacy, and focus more on the child–parent relationship when regulating surrogacy.</p>}},
  author       = {{Arvidsson, Anna and Johnsdotter, Sara and Emmelin, Maria and Essén, Birgitta}},
  issn         = {{2405-6618}},
  keywords     = {{assisted reproduction; commissioning parents; India; parenthood; Sweden; transnational surrogacy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{23--31}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Reproductive Biomedicine and Society Online}},
  title        = {{Being questioned as parents : An interview study with Swedish commissioning parents using transnational surrogacy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbms.2018.08.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.rbms.2018.08.001}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}