Surrogate Screening- Important Factors To Consider

Surrogate screening is an essential process for those considering becoming a surrogate mother. Thorough screening helps ensure all parties understand the commitment and that a surrogate is well-suited physically and emotionally for pregnancy and relinquishing rights after birth.

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This article provides a comprehensive overview of Surrogate Screening factors to consider as well as frequently asked questions for those exploring this option.

More Resources to Read:

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Surrogacy Guide for Surrogate Mothers

What is Surrogate Screening?

Surrogate screening involves a series of tests, evaluations, and consultations designed to determine if someone is eligible to serve as a surrogate mother. This rigorous process examines a potential surrogate’s medical history, mental health status, background, legal rights, and overall alignment with one or two prospective parent(s).

The goals of screening are to:

• Protect the well-being of surrogates during and after pregnancy
• Confirm that surrogates meet legal eligibility requirements
• Ensure intended parents and surrogates share similar views on key issues
• Set clear and mutual expectations around contracts, compensation, etc.

Robust screening is viewed as crucial due to the exceptional commitment of time, health risks, and complex emotional factors involved with surrogacy arrangements.

Why is Screening Important for Surrogates?

Becoming a surrogate mother involves significant physical demands, bodily changes, lifestyle adjustments, emotional complexity, and binding legal contracts. Thorough screening helps minimize risks and provides critical education for women exploring this monumental decision.

Key reasons screening is so vital include:

• Assessing physical readiness – Screening thoroughly reviews medical history and past pregnancies to determine risks a potential surrogate and baby could face. Some conditions may disqualify candidates if the risks are too high.
• Confirming mental readiness – Evaluations by mental health professionals aim to confirm a surrogate is in a healthy state of mind to understand her role and process intense emotions that may emerge after birth.
• Verifying personal stability – Background checks examine elements like a family environment, relationships, criminal history, income and debt levels, etc. to confirm stability.
• Previewing legal rights and processes – Legal knowledge empowers surrogates to grasp their rights, intended parent rights, and potential issues around contracts and payment terms.
• Establishing shared views – Discussions around beliefs, values, hopes, and concerns allow surrogates and intended parents to assess alignment on issues like medical care, expenses, communication preferences, custody plans if complications occur, open/closed adoption relationship preferences, etc. Screening should determine high comfort between all parties.

With so much on the line during and after surrogacy journeys, screening offers the education, alignment, and security necessary for low-risk arrangements.

Now that we’ve covered why screening is so critical for surrogates, let’s explore the 5 most important keys to the process.

Factor 1: Medical History Screening

The first vital step in surrogate screening focuses heavily on documenting and reviewing an individual’s health and pregnancy background. Examining factors like past pregnancies, chronic conditions, or genetic risks provides critical insights into both safety considerations and eligibility based on state laws.

Key aspects explored include:

Past Pregnancies

If a potential surrogate has given birth before, her history can reveal pregnancy risks to monitor more closely. Relevant items examined include:

• Any complications faced
• If births were vaginal or cesarean deliveries
• If multiples were previously carried
• Pregnancy spacing patterns
• Current gynecological health

Documenting reproductive history builds knowledge of what to expect during future pregnancies.

Physical Health

Surrogates undergo full physical exams and lab testing looking for risks impacting pregnancy like:

• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular concerns
• Autoimmune disorders
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Diabetes
• Infections like Hepatitis B/C, Syphilis, etc.

Certain chronic health issues may disqualify candidates if the risks of complications seem too dangerous. Each clinic has established protocols for health criteria.

Family Medical History

Looking at conditions impacting a surrogate’s immediate or extended family offers clues for where higher awareness may be beneficial. Documenting factors like cancers, clotting disorders, early heart attacks, and other red flags empowers medical guidance tailored to those potential predispositions.

A thorough review of current and past health offers the best possible foundation for low-risk journeys ahead.

Factor 2: Psychological Evaluation

In addition to physical health, surrogate screening heavily emphasizes psychological readiness to take on the monumental emotions of pregnancy followed by relinquishing rights. Evaluations aim to protect all parties by confirming the mental fitness and self-awareness necessary for this commitment.

The two main aspects examined by mental health professionals include:

Mental Health Status

Surrogates undergo intensive interviews, testing, and review of any past mental health history to verify current stability and coping skills. Evaluators aim to spot conditions like:

• Mood disorders
• Trauma history
• Substance abuse
• Personality disorder risks

While not all risks would prohibit surrogacy arrangements outright, evaluations paint a picture of current mental fitness and gauge traits like resiliency that underscore success. Evaluators also prescribe any therapy or self-care preparations that could optimize readiness.

Support System Assessment

Understanding a surrogate’s home life relationships and social network offers another clue to the anticipated ability to handle swirling emotions. Evaluators investigate:

• Family structure and dynamics
• Strength of key relationships
• Self-described closeness with friends/relatives
• Presence of support groups

Assessing resources to lean on during complex moments reinforces preparations and readiness. Evaluators also spot potential areas where establishing support ahead could be beneficial.

Robust psychological review is not about elimination, but optimizing arrangements by fully illuminating a surrogate’s starting point, room for growth, tools to thrive, and backing necessary during the journey.

Factor 3: Background Check

Surrogacy journeys involve exceptional financial, legal, medical, and emotional investments by all parties. To most safely uphold these significant commitments, surrogates undergo detailed background checks examining core elements of stability.

While approval thresholds vary by surrogacy clinics and intended parents, three key aspects examined include:

Identity Verification

Surrogates must provide extensive record trails confirming their identity, employment eligibility, driving history, past addresses, and other key components legitimizing background. Checks often pull credit reports, education/employment verification, utility records, and criminal databases. Falsifications are automatic disqualifications.

Criminal History

Many surrogacy clinics mandate no criminal history outside minor infractions, although state laws defining eligibility thresholds vary extensively. Evaluators aim to spot patterns of concern balanced against the datedness of issues and life stage context for past struggles. The highest responsibility arrangements warrant blemish-free histories.

Home Life Environment

Assessors work to confirm general stability through factors like income levels, debt loads, bankruptcy risks, home ownership vs rental status, neighborhood environments, drug use potential, and the comprehensiveness of overall personal records. The goal is to ensure responsible life foundations.

While an imperfect past does not necessarily preclude wonderful presents or futures, background checks exist to verify surrogates stand on stable footing as pregnancy’s physical, emotional, relationship and financial demands intensify. Intended parents invest exceptional trust in surrogates that backgrounds validate.

Factor 4: Legal Consultation

The complex emotional and medical facets of surrogacy meet intricate legal realities guiding contracts, parental rights, reimbursable expenses, custody scenarios if complications emerge, and more. Robust legal review ensures surrogates grasp key factors so arrangements remain protected on all sides.

Two primary legal considerations include:

Review of Contracts

Surrogates work with legal teams to dissect multifaceted contracts defining:

• Compensation amounts and payment terms
• Agreed upon pregnancy and birth expenses
• Required medical care directives
• Custody designations of all parties if various crisis scenarios like premature birth, defects, maternal death, or other issues emerge

No element can be assumed. Lawyers ensure surrogates fully digest layered commitments.

Discussion of State Laws and Rights

Surrogacy legislation spans the spectrum from banned to partly regulated to fully legal. State laws dictate incredibly important factors like:

• If surrogacy contracts can be legally enforced
• Whose names land on original birth certificates
• How relinquishments and adoptions finalize in court
• What expenses are mandatory vs optional
• If compensation can be provided

The review aims to confirm informed consent around regional realities. Lawyers also spotlight key preference discussions to resolve with intended parents.

Legal review protects all by confirming easy comprehension of intricate arrangements even in moments of duress.

Factor 5: Matching with Prospective Parents

Perhaps the most emotional layer of screening involves exploratory discussions aiming to match surrogates and intended parents with shared views, values, and priorities. Human connections around intimate hopes often determine arrangement success even more than physical milestones.

Two key goals of matching include:

Align on Views

In-depth conversations spotlight principles around key areas like:

• Birth preferences
• Views on fetal testing
• Conditions warranting pregnancy termination
• Medical interventions during labor and delivery
• Parenting styles
• Vision for any future relationship after birth

Surfacing potential differences early allows navigation of a comfortable middle ground. All voices deserve equal weight.

Ensure Comfort Level

Even if views align, emotions around connecting comfortably matter. Areas explored include:

• Personality matches and chemistry
• Sharing expectations for communication styles and response times
• Ideas for nurturing bonds before, during, and after birth
• Custody preferences if complications occur
• Hopes around potential future relationship if an open adoption

Human connections cement arrangements, not just contracts. Matching evaluates bonds.

While screening elements like medical and psychological assessments carry definite pass/fail parameters, relationship screening centers on softer measures of synergy, security, and interpersonal trust that underscore success. Prioritizing all human needs ensures arrangements are sustained.

Next Steps After Surrogate Screening

With the 5 main keys of surrogate screening covered—medical, psychological, background, legal, and matching assessments—candidates who complete the process stand ready to embark on their profound commitment to carrying life on behalf of hopeful intended parents.

While formal screening aims to anticipate as many needs as possible to solidify low-risk arrangements between all parties, post-match journeys themselves involve continued learning and support as pregnancy progresses all the way through the birth and postpartum stages.

Once matched, surrogates and intended parents continue exploring areas like:

• Ongoing medical guidance as doctors monitor pregnancy milestones
• Building deeper family-like bonds through continued contact
• Outlining additional legal considerations if new scenarios emerge
• Voicing emotional needs as they arise for all involved
• Communally preparing for birth logistics and post-delivery custody
• Making any open adoption relationship decisions

Screening offers the fundamentals while living the surrogacy journey day-to-day and provides the real-time unfolding of an exceptional human experience. Ongoing communication centered on care makes thriving possible.

For women considering exploring surrogacy, thorough screening provides the launching point. If screening establishes readiness, incredible purpose awaits carrying a special life.

Now that we’ve outlined the screening process and next steps, let’s address some frequent questions and some surrogate screening questions.

Additional guide for intended parents:

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Conclusion

If you’d like to learn more about IVF, Egg Donation, or surrogacy services globally, check out the rest of our website at  Complete Surrogacy Agency. We offer legally secure and affordable surrogacy consulting services for FREE.

For more resources on IVF and Surrogacy, browse our other web page- IVF Conceptions.

For more resources on IVF and Surrogacy, browse our other web page- Georgia Surrogacy Agency.

Our team has over 13 years of experience facilitating surrogacy arrangements, egg donation, and serving as an advocacy resource for infertile couples and LGBTQ individuals seeking to build families.

Our founder and chief surrogacy consultant, Neelam Chhagani, passionately helps couples struggling with fertility challenges. Since starting our surrogacy consulting agency in 2013, we’ve helped welcome over 500 babies for intended parents nationwide.

Our team includes experts from diverse backgrounds with leading reproductive attorneys, professionally trained top fertility doctors, former surrogacy case managers, experienced and kind surrogate mother and egg donor coordinators, mental health professionals specializing in infertility counseling, and a logistic support team to assist you in your chosen surrogacy country.

References used: 

• https://resolve.org
• https://www.asrm.org/

Frequently Asked Questions for Surrogate Screening factors to consider

For women contemplating becoming surrogates, questions and concerns understandably arise around issues screening aims to address. Some common areas of curiosity include:

What are common disqualifications during screening?

While minor health issues or past struggles don’t prohibit arrangements outright, common instant disqualifications include dishonesty/inconsistencies anywhere in screening, criminal history involving violence/fraud/drugs/child endangerment, and certain chronic health risks if too severe. Openness provides the best grounds for strong matches.

Can surrogates change their mind during the pregnancy?

Legally surrogates cannot back out once pregnant without significant financial and legal consequences around intended parent rights and reimbursements. But before transfers, they can change their mind. Screening exists to ensure readiness and avoid regrets. If doubts ever emerge post-match, immediate discussions with legal teams and mediators can navigate solutions.

What if medical issues emerge requiring delivery earlier than 37 weeks?

Contracts outline financial obligations and custody implications for scenarios like premature birth, pregnancy complications threatening surrogate health, birth defects, or losses. While devastating exceptions, teams thoughtfully outline contingency plans for various outcomes during screening aligned with state laws and hospital policies protecting all interests.

How are conflicts between parties resolved?

Mediators specializing in surrogacy arrangements field any disputes around perceived breaches of contracts, medical disagreements, delivery complications, changes in willingness to sustain relationships after birth, or hurdles upholding expense commitments. All differences escalate to specialist review, not courts.

If considering this journey, screening offers the space to transparently investigate if surrogacy meets your needs. Teams creatively problem-solve any roadblocks if intentions align. Take time learning if this purpose calls.