In June, Health Canada published the long-awaited regulations on reimbursements in gamete donation and surrogacy. These regulations are important because section 12 of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act (AHR Act) requires that reimbursements must be dispersed "in accordance with the guidelines." Yes, fifteen years is a long time to wait! The new regulations will take effect June 9, 2020, though contracts entered into between now and then should comply with the regulations. In addition, … [Read more...]
Health Canada posts draft regulations regulating reimbursement in surrogacy and gamete donation
Last month Health Canada released draft language specifying what constitutes a legitimate and legal reimbursement for expenses incurred during gamete provision or surrogacy. Section 12 of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act states that reimbursements must be made "in accordance with the regulations" which have not existed (until now). The lack of regulation has created confusion and wariness about the legality of reimbursing expenses in surrogacy or gamete donation. Indeed, the only criminal … [Read more...]
Empathy and altruism in surrogacy
Below is the text of my presentation for today's annual SMF Research Symposium hosted by the Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies department at St. Jerome's University/University of Waterloo. I post it here to facilitate better accessibility. Territorial acknowledgement I am a philosopher who primarily works in women’s and gender studies. Much of the content of my research in reproductive ethics has to do with access: Who has access to fertility? To what treatments and technologies? To … [Read more...]
Health Canada report summarizes feedback on reimbursements for surrogacy and egg donation
In 2016 and 2017 Health Canada solicited feedback related to drafting regulations to clarify sections of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. This month they released the "What We Heard Report," which disseminates feedback received from the summer 2017 call for public comments. This consultation focused on health and safety issues with gamete donation (section 10), reimbursement for expenses in egg donation and surrogacy (section 12), and enforcing and administering the Act (sections … [Read more...]
The myth of a simple surrogacy
The call to better regulate surrogacy highlights the need to reduce possibilities for exploitation and other harms. Jessica Allen's experience as a surrogate reminds me that surrogacy will always be unpredictable. Yes, we need better regulation (in Canada and elsewhere). But surrogacy won't be simple. Superfetation, a rare occurrence in human pregnancy On October 25, the New York Post reported about a surrogacy that went wrong in an unexpected way: Allen conceived while gestating an embryo for … [Read more...]