Abstract

JORDAAN, D W. Surrogate motherhood in illness that does not cause infertility. SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. [online]. 2016, vol.106, n.7, pp.684-685. ISSN 2078-5135.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/samj.2016.v106i7.10668.

The threshold requirement for surrogate motherhood requires that a commissioning parent or parents are permanently unable to give birth to a child. The question has arisen of a commissioning mother who suffers from a permanent illness that does not cause infertility but that renders pregnancy a significant health risk to her and/or to her prospective child in utero. The threshold requirement inability to give birth to a child should not be interpreted narrowly as referring only to a commissioning parent's inherent inability to give birth to a child, but should be interpreted broadly as referring only to a commissioning parent's effective inability to give birth to a child - allowing consideration of the medical sequelae of pregnancy for the commissioning mother and her prospective child. A broad interpretation of the threshold requirement is compatible with legislative intent, case law and our constitutional commitment to human rights.

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