According to the scale of surrogate motherhood, Russia for the past fifteen years has reached the world level and ranks in one row, for example, with the United States. However, despite the hype as for this way of having children and great public interest, infertile couples choose this path very rarely, mainly due to the price being too high. As a rule, public interest in this topic is manifested in cases when stars of show business are addressing to the services of surrogate mothers.
But not all children born to surrogate mothers remain in the country, because foreigners often use the services of Russian surrogate mothers. After all, such procedures are prohibited by law in Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, and even in some US states.
As a result, with a total birth rate in Russia of almost 2 million, half a thousand born in a “surrogate” way look like a drop in the ocean.
The reasons for the low popularity of surrogate motherhood in developed countries are the same: high prices, contradictory laws and ambiguous perception in society.
From 1.5 to 3.5 million rubles
According to official estimates in Russia, approximately 20%. Of infertile couples, It is difficult to calculate the exact number of people, but some experts, based on complex and fairly relative calculations, speak of five million people.
About 0.5% of them are decided on in vitro fertilization (IVF), said Vadim Bakhtov, a representative of one of the country’s largest agencies on assisted reproductive technology. Accordingly, surrogacy is even less, and the main obstacle here is the high cost.
“If we estimate at a minimum, then a surrogate mother will receive 500-600 thousand rubles by birth a surrogate child. Plus, from 15 to 30 thousand rubles a month she gets food. Plus the cost of medicines and observation in the clinic, which can cost up to 700 thousand rubles. Plus IVF and how many IVF procedures we need? Only God knows. Finally, birth, the cost of it can reach up to 700 thousand rubles, ”he lists.
A lawyer from Yekaterinburg, Roman Bikbulatov, engaged in legal support of the procedure, adds to this the cost of legal assistance in Urals and in Siberia 40-60 thousand rubles, and in Moscow even more.
“There are different options for surrogate motherhood, but the maximum amount is about 3.5 million rubles. This includes everything: medicine and legal support. But the average price in Russia is up to 1.5 million rubles, ”he sums up.
Attempt # 5
These expenses do not exhaust all the costs that parents have to face, who decide on surrogate motherhood.
Muscovite Elena Milovanova says that she and her husband tried for two years to have a child with the help of surrogacy program. During this time, five surrogate mothers were changed and only the latter was able to give birth.
“In the first clinic, where I turned, I was, in fact, cheated,” she says.
“I was looking for a surrogate mother on the Internet by myself. In clinic, we were carried out the procedure of the so-called “transfer” – when the biological material of a woman and a man is placed ina surrogate mother. We had three unsuccessful “transfers”, each of which cost 50 thousand rubles. To sum up the costs of tests, surveys, observation, I spent 1.5 million rubles in total at this clinic, ”says Elena.
The problem is that clinics are not responsible for an unsuccessful IVF procedure, she said. It is beneficial for them to keep as much money as possible.
With the fourth surrogate mother, there were problems of a different nature: at some point after the “transfer”, according to Elena, she stopped taking the medicine and the pregnancy stopped.
Legal thorns
Nevertheless, every year the number of people wishing to use the surrogate motherhood program in the country is growing, states lawyer Roman Bikbulatov.
“Only from the beginning of this year I legally accompanied the birth of more than 40 children. My clients joke that their children are like me: they are the same bald ones,”he laughs.
The only thing that gives him a lot of trouble is the inconsistency of the legislation regulating this area.
“For example, it concerns the issue of sick leave. Adopted children are given a sick leave for 70 days and biological parents who give birth under a surrogate program are not given sick leave, although a newborn child needs care, ”the lawyer complains.
A series of legislative troubles continues to describe the BBC interlocutor Elena Milovanova.
Firstly, there is no surrogate motherhood law in Russia and biological parents are virtually powerless: “If a surrogate mother does not want to give you a baby, then you will not do anything with her. No contract will help. ”
Secondly, it is not clearly stated anywhere what set of documents is necessary for such parents to confirm the fact of paternity and maternity. Different registry offices may have different requirements.
“The most important document here is the consent of the surrogate mother, certified by the chief doctor, lawyer and obstetrician-gynecologist. It is agreement, not refusal, because if it’s a refusal, then the child will be given to the baby house and it will have to be adopted, ”she said.
“I really want a second child. But when I think that it will be necessary to bring a baby again, it becomes scary,”adds Elena