Surrogacy
Absence or malformation of the womb
Recurrent pregnancy loss
Repeated IVF implantation failures
Severe medical disease
About the treatment
Surrogacy is when a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another woman who cannot do that for medical reasons. Surrogacy may be suitable for a woman that has a medical condition that makes it impossible or dangerous to get pregnant and/or give birth.
Some of the medical conditions that might make surrogacy necessary include: absence or malformation of the womb, recurrent pregnancy loss or repeated IVF implantation failures, severe heart or renal disease.
Types of surrogacy
Full surrogacy (also known as Host or Gestational Surrogacy) involves the implantation of embryos created using either:
- Eggs and sperm of the intended parents
- Donated eggs fertilized with sperm from the intended father
- Embryos created using donor eggs and donor sperm
Partial surrogacy (also known Straight or Traditional Surrogacy) involves sperm from the intended father and an egg from the surrogate. Partial Surrogacy is not allowed in Cyprus.
Successful Surrogacy
Many factors are important for a successful surrogacy treatment. If the below factors are optimal, then the pregnancy rate must be high, 60-70% on first embryo transfer:
- The surrogate’s ability to get pregnant
- The age of the woman who provides the egg
- The quality of the gametes provided by the commissioning couple
Choosing a surrogate
The couple should choose a woman capable of having a safe, healthy pregnancy and birth. It is also vital that the couple builds up a trusting relationship with the surrogate.
- Ideally surrogates should be under the age of 35, in order to ensure that any age-related pregnancy complications are minimized.
- It is also possible for the couple to bring their own surrogate.
- Surrogates from abroad are also an option, however they must be able to live in Cyprus after the 28th week of gestation and up to the date of delivery.
Legal requirements for
surrogacy in Cyprus
The latest legislation established on May 2015 in Cyprus
The latest legislation established on May 2015 in Cyprus allows surrogacy for married couples or couples in a civil partnership and who are residence of Cyprus. Currently non-Cypriot residents are not allowed to proceed with surrogacy treatment in Cyprus, although changes in the law are presently under way, therefore please keep in touch with our clinic for the forthcoming legislation related to non-residents of Cyprus. In order to proceed with surrogacy treatment, the couple must apply to the Board of Medically Assisted Reproduction to get approval.
For the commissioning couple
- Gynecologist’s report confirming that the female patient cannot carry a child and explaining the reasons
- Psychiatrist report for the couple
- Police certificates for the couple with special reference to sexual exploitation of children
For the surrogate
- Gynecologist’s report confirming that the surrogate is healthy and able to carry and deliver a child
- Psychiatrist report
- Police certificate with special reference to sexual exploitation of children
It is very important to note
- No adoption is needed as a surrogate has no rights on the child to be born.
- The couple is fully responsible in selecting the surrogate. Pedieos IVF can propose a surrogate for the commissioning couple and make the initial introduction, but it is entirely up to the couple to decide which surrogate they would like to select.
- The couple and the surrogate will come up with a financial agreement about compensation with the potential surrogate mother. Reasonable expenses of the surrogate are allowed, for example: medical expenses, clothes, travel expenses, pregnancy-related diet and supplements and loss of earnings.
- Commercial agents are not allowed to interfere.