WASHINGTON (Jan. 8, 2024)--Pope Francis called for the practice of surrogate motherhood to be banned worldwide on Monday. In a speech to ambassadors of 184 countries, the Pope called the practice “deplorable” and said that most surrogate mothers are “almost all poor, are exploited and children are treated like goods.
Laws on the practice are different depending on the country. Only a few countries and some states in the United States allow commercial surrogacy. Others allow the practice but no money is exchanged.
The George Washington University has experts who can talk about ethical and legal aspects of surrogacy. To schedule an interview please contact Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmann
gwu [dot] edu (kfackelmann[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Shannon Mitchell, shannon [dot] mitchellgwu [dot] edu.
Mellissa Goldstein, is an associate professor of health policy and management at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is an expert in bioethics, including reproductive ethics and issues at the intersection of the law and reproductive health. Previously she served as a legal consultant to President Clinton’s National Bioethics Advisory Commission.
Sonia Suter, The Henry St George Tucker III Dean’s Research Professor of Law; The Kahan Family Research Professor of Law; Founding Director Health Law Initiative at the George Washington University Law School. Professor Suter is an expert at the intersection of law, medicine and bioethics with a particular focus on reproductive rights, emerging reproductive technologies and ethical and legal issues in genetics.
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