Attitudes toward Surrogacy amongst Iranian Fertile and Infertile Women

¹Gader Dargahi, ²Azad Rahmani, ³Nilofar Sattarzadeh, ⁴Hossein Ebrahimi, ⁵Babak Hajipour, Abbas Karimi

¹ Ms in Epidemiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

²PhD student in nursing education. Nursing and midwifery faculty of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

³PhD student in Midwifery. Nursing and midwifery faculty of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

⁴ PhD in Nursing. Philosophy and History of Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

⁵PhD in Nursing. Philosophy and History of Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

⁶Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: azadrahmanims@yahoo.com

Accepted 17 May, 2013

Abstract

Background: Surrogacy is a common form of assisted reproductive technology which only gestational form is approved by most of the religious scholars in Iran. the aim of present study was to compare the attitude of Iranian fertile and infertile women toward gestational surrogacy. Material and Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was conducted at infertility and gynaecology clinics affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during 2008-2009. The study sample consisted of 238 infertile and 183 fertile women who were selected using the eligible sampling method. A validated self-reported questionnaire containing 22 baseline items based on a five-point Likert scale was used. This questionnaire is developed by researchers. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: There is significant difference between two groups in three subsections of the questionnaire as fertile women reported more positive attitudes toward surrogacy than the infertile women. Fertile women were significantly more likely to be willing to use the surrogacy (P<0.05). They were more optimistic toward surrogate mothers and more agreement to recommending this method to infertile couples (P<0.001). ). There is a consensus that surrogacy is not contrary to sharia, and both groups believed that government should have regulations for surrogacy programs. Both groups disagreed with the married surrogate mother. Infertile women more than the other group dissent that commissioning couple are owners of baby (P<0.001).

Keywords: surrogacy, fertility, Iran, attitudes, reproduction