Surrogate Mother Recruitment Requirements and Process Fully Explained

Core Requirements for Surrogate Mother Recruitment

As a key participant in assisted reproduction, surrogate mothers need to be carefully screened to ensure the health of the mother and child and compliance with the process. The following recruitment criteria are universally applied worldwide:

1. Age and reproductive background

The age range is usually 21-40 years old, with some organizations requiring an upper limit of 38 years old.
You must have had at least one healthy pregnancy and delivery, with evidence of normal uterine function and no history of serious complications.

2. Health and Lifestyle Habits

BMI should be between 18.5-30, too high or too low may increase the risk of pregnancy.
No smoking, alcohol, drugs or long-term use of antidepressant/anti-anxiety drugs.
Passing infectious disease screening (e.g. Hepatitis B, HIV, Syphilis) and genetic disease testing are required.

3. Psychological and social support

Pass a professional psychological assessment to confirm that the surrogate is emotionally stable and has reasonable motives (e.g., to help others rather than purely financial needs).
Written consent from spouse or immediate family members is required to ensure family support.

4. Economic and Legal Compliance

The surrogate mother needs to have a stable source of income and not receive government poverty assistance to avoid financial stress that could affect the health of the pregnancy.
Must reside in a jurisdiction where surrogacy is legal to ensure that the contract is legally protected.

Surrogate mother recruitment process in detail

1. Initial application and information review

The surrogate mother submits personal information, reproductive history and medical records, and the agency conducts a background check (including criminal record and credit status).
Some agencies require video interviews to assess communication skills and the authenticity of her wishes.

2. Medical and psychological evaluation

Reproductive system examination: including hysteroscopy, vaginal ultrasound to assess uterine morphology and lining thickness (8-12mm required).
Hormonal and metabolic tests: such as thyroid function (TSH <2.5 mIU/L), blood glucose and liver and kidney function indicators.
Psychological screening: assess mental health using standardized scales (e.g. SCL-90) to rule out potential psychological risks.

3. Matching and contract signing

The surrogate mother’s information is entered into a database for the commissioning party to choose according to race, living habits and other preferences.
Both parties sign a legal contract, specifying rights and obligations, compensation amount, medical risk responsibility and breach of contract clauses.

4. Medical Preparation and Transplantation

The surrogate mother is required to undergo hormonal conditioning (e.g. progesterone support) to optimize endometrial tolerance.
After the embryo transfer, she will enter into pregnancy monitoring, undergo regular maternity check-ups and be managed by the medical institution designated by the client.

Rights and interests of surrogate mothers and risk tips

1. Legal and contractual guarantees

Parental rights belonging: The contract clearly stipulates that the surrogate mother has no genetic or legal connection with the baby, and the birth certificate directly registers the information of the commissioning party.
Medical Expenses: The cost of pregnancy checkups, delivery and treatment of complications will be fully borne by the commissioning party.

2. Health Risks and Responses

Complications during pregnancy: such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., which need to be managed in strict accordance with medical advice.
Multiple pregnancies: if more than one embryo is implanted, it is necessary to negotiate in advance whether to reduce the pregnancy to avoid health risks.

3. Ethical and Social Controversies

Emotional challenges: some surrogate mothers may develop emotional attachment due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, requiring psychological counseling support.
Social prejudice: surrogacy still faces ethical controversies, and the recruitment process needs to protect privacy to avoid discrimination.

Current status and future outlook of surrogacy industry

1. Global Legalization Trend

The United States, Georgia and other regions have established mature legal frameworks covering surrogate mother screening, contract regulation and parental rights determination.
Some countries strictly prohibit commercial surrogacy and only allow gratuitous and altruistic surrogacy.

2. Technological innovation and standardization

Genetic screening technology (PGD) can reduce the risk of genetic diseases and improve the success rate of embryo transfer.
The industry is gradually promoting standardized processes, including surrogate mother database construction, cross-agency collaboration and third-party supervision.

3. Improvement of Social Awareness

The public’s understanding of surrogacy has shifted from “commercial transactions” to “fertility assistance”, with particular attention to the needs of infertile families and the LGBT community.
Advocacy for the rise of surrogate mothers’ rights organizations, and the promotion of reasonable compensation, medical insurance and long-term health tracking.

Summary and Appeal

The recruitment of surrogate mothers is a systematic project that involves medicine, law and ethics, and should be centered on a transparent process, strict screening and protection of rights and interests. In the future, with the development of technology and the improvement of regulations, the surrogacy industry is expected to provide more families with fertility solutions under the framework of compliance, and at the same time, the physical and mental health of surrogate mothers and social acceptance should be paid constant attention to.