Glossary

Altruistic surrogacy: Surrogacy in which the surrogate mother is not paid a fee, but rather provides the service out of a sense of altruism or kindness.

Artificial insemination: A fertility treatment in which sperm is inserted into the vagina or uterus of a woman in order to achieve pregnancy.

Commercial surrogacy: Surrogacy in which the surrogate mother is paid a fee for carrying and giving birth to the child.

Embryo: The early stage of development of a human being, from fertilization to about eight weeks of gestation.

Gestational carrier: Another term for a gestational surrogate, a woman who carries and gives birth to an embryo that is not genetically related to her.

Gestational surrogacy: A type of surrogacy in which the surrogate mother carries an embryo that has been created using in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is not genetically related to her.

In vitro fertilization (IVF): A fertility treatment in which eggs are retrieved from a woman's ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryos can be transferred to the uterus of the woman or a surrogate mother.

Intended parents: The individuals or couple who commission a surrogacy arrangement and will ultimately become the legal parents of the child born through surrogacy.

Surrogacy agreement: A legal contract between the surrogate mother and the intended parents outlining the terms and conditions of the surrogacy arrangement.

Surrogacy clinics: Clinics that provide fertility treatments and assist with the arrangement of surrogacy agreements.

Surrogacy laws: The legal framework regulating surrogacy arrangements, including eligibility requirements for intended parents and surrogate mothers, rights and responsibilities of all parties involved, and legal procedures for establishing parentage.

Surrogate mother: The woman who carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of the intended parents.

Traditional surrogate: A woman who carries and gives birth to a child that is genetically related to her, usually through artificial insemination with the sperm of the intended father.

Traditional surrogacy: A type of surrogacy in which the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the sperm of the intended father and carries a child that is genetically related to her.