As the practice of surrogacy has become more popular, so has the use of the term. In fact, to define surrogacy today can be complicated; not only are there many different processes of surrogacy, but other industries have adopted the word for their own use.
First, let’s start at the beginning to find a surrogacy definition — by looking to the dictionary. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of surrogacy is “the practice by which a woman (called a surrogate mother) becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby in order to give it to someone who cannot have children.”
However, within this definition, there are also other ways to define surrogacy based on how an embryo is created, if the surrogate receives compensation or not and much more. In addition, there are certain terms to be aware of in regards to the definition of surrogacy, including:
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Intended Parent: The person who cannot carry a pregnancy to term and is looking for a woman to carry and give birth to their baby for them
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Surrogate: The woman who is pregnant with the intended parents’ baby and carries him or her to term
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Egg or Sperm Donor: The person whose gamete is used to complete an embryo, if the intended parents cannot complete it by themselves
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Surrogacy Specialist: The professional who works closely with the intended parents and surrogate to ensure the surrogacy process is completed successfully
To learn more about the different definitions of surrogacy pregnancy, we recommend you read these articles:
As “surrogate” has become a more popular term to use, the definition of surrogacy has expanded to include terms like political surrogate, health care surrogate, legal surrogate and more. Here are some ways to define surrogacy in respect to these terms:
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Political Surrogate: A political surrogate (or campaign surrogate) is a person who acts on the behalf of a candidate running for political office. In many cases, this surrogate will appear at events the candidate cannot or be used as a way to bolster the image of the candidate in a certain demographic (for example, celebrities). A candidate’s spouse is a common example of a political surrogate.
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Health Care Surrogate: In medical situations, a health care surrogate is someone appointed by a doctor or nurse to make medical decisions for someone who is incapable of making them. Usually, this may be a relative or friend of the person in medical distress.
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Legal Surrogate: This is just another term for health care surrogate; medical organizations use the two terms interchangeably.
When surrogacy is used in the context of pregnancy and childbirth, however, you can know that the definition of surrogacy being used is the first one mentioned in this article. Because surrogacy may be defined differently based on each person’s individual situation, it’s best to contact American Surrogacy to learn more about how we define surrogacy and what that process will look like for you. We are always available to answer your questions, so please call our surrogate specialists today at 1-800-875-2229.