A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a fetus for others, often for another couple or for a mother. Carry through the pregnancy and let them legally adopt the baby after it is born. Surrogacy arrangements are usually complex: different agreements and contacts are needed to initiate surrogacy. Some women are paid for surrogate work, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 (p. 398), while others expect no payment at all. Some states have outlawed surrogacy, as they believe it is illegal to involve the buying and selling of children (baby selling) as it is a “blatant affront to human dignity” (p. 400). Surrogacy advocates deny this term and argue that the surrogate mother is giving up her right as a parent to have a relationship with the child. They often compare this action to adoption, where biological parents donate their children. Adopting a consequentialist approach, Laura Purdy claims that in most cases, the benefits of surrogacy can outweigh its costs and, therefore, will be morally permissible. Some feminists argue that the practice is necessarily wrong because it “separates sex from reproduction, shifts the burden to another woman, and separates childbearing from childrearing” (p.454-456). However, Purdy finds the arguments very unconvincing. There is no evidence to suggest that surrogacy is harmful to children, and she agrees that it is more likely that banning or criminalizing surrogacy would result in substantial harm to children. She argues that surrogacy does not necessarily constitute the commodification or degradation of children. Purdy examines that surrogacy is not just the selling of children, but a better characterization of the birth mother... middle of paper... now there is responsibility to the child inside her, and will therefore force women to face pregnancy and the possibility of raising the child alone. Furthermore, surrogacy can be made unethical by unfair surrogacy contracts. It is the clause that if anything happens to the child, or if the child tends to be handicapped, the surrogate mother will be penalized. To regulate such contracts, Purdy's solution is to form a law banning all surrogacy arrangements (p.460). Overall, I agree with Purdy's position on this issue. Surrogacy is not unethical because it benefits the surrogate mother and the family involved throughout the surrogacy process. Surrogacy does not harm children and the burden and risks are taken into consideration throughout the process. Surrogacy may seem risky, but it is still desirable for those who cannot afford to have a child.