A friend, Facebook or … Ukraine? No easy surrogacy options for Australian families … – The Guardian

Over eight years, Ethan and his wife went through nine rounds of IVF in Melbourne. They travelled to Spain for two more, without success. “I thought maybe the universe had decided we’re not supposed to have kids,” says Ethan, who asked for his real name not to be published. Finally, someone suggested surrogacy. “We kind of looked at each other,” Ethan says. “It’s the last station on the track.” Australian states and territories allow altruistic surrogacy, where the only payment allowed is to cover the surrogates’s expenses. Commercial surrogacy is illegal, so hundreds of people head overseas each year chasing their dreams of parenthood. The Australian Law Reform Commission is looking at how to better regulate surrogacy and harmonise laws so they are consistent with international legal obligations, while protecting human rights – particularly the rights and best interests of the child. Among the more than 400 submissions to the ALRC are tales of complicated legal scenarios and painful wrangling about medical issues. There are explorations of the ethical minefields in an industry where huge amounts of money are at stake and power imbalances are in play. And over and over again, there are stories about people who desperately want
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