You don’t have to do much beyond turning on the TV to hear a story about surrogacy nowadays. Chances are that you have at least one person in your circle who has considered it, if not grown their family with the help of a gestational surrogate. Just a few years ago, it wasn’t quite so big. So, what’s the reason behind the surrogacy boom? It comes down to these four things.

1) Improved Legislation

Particularly here in California, surrogacy laws go the distance. While the state’s parentage laws help anyone growing their family through virtually any means beyond natural conception, they’re of particular importance to those who work with surrogates because they empower individuals to establish parentage before a baby is born. While many states are starting to come around to this and have started looking out for unique cases, California is the only state that works this way, and has jurisdiction over virtually every parentage case that has had at least some part of the process occur within the state boundaries. The added legislation provides reassurance to intended parents that the process is safe and secure.

2) Better Medical Processes and Care

IVF techniques have been refined over the years. When IVF first emerged, it had an average success rate of just 6%. However, when the latest round of data was collected in 2015, the CDC reported that ART cycles were successful 47% of the time when a donor egg was used. While there is never a guarantee with any kind of reproductive assistance, the steady increase in healthy pregnancies over the years, paired with the fact that thousands of babies are born each year using ART is encouraging for many intended parents.

3) Legislative/ Humanistic Global Issues

While the legislation in California is amazing, it’s not this way around the globe. Many countries outright ban surrogacy, and some, like Australia, even prohibit parents from traveling to make surrogacy arrangements. Others simply prohibit surrogates from accepting payments, which leaves intended parents with few options if family and friends are unable to help. In China, surrogacy is a gray area, but stigma and a varying egg donor pool often causes citizens to seek surrogates in other countries. The US, with strong laws in states like California, and top-notch medical care, is the obvious choice for intended parents who must travel for surrogacy services.

4) An Established Model

Unfortunately, any time there is an emotionally-charged situation, there will be someone trying to take advantage of the vulnerable. While other countries around the world struggle with managing these types of issues, and it still occasionally occurs in parts of the US too, California’s surrogacy-friendly laws have put it on the forefront of innovation and helped the state become a global destination for surrogacy over the years. Because of this, trustworthy agencies like Surrogate Parenting Services have earned a reputation for providing quality services, while protecting the rights of surrogates and intended parents alike. Nowadays, intended parents can take advantage of this established model, knowing that if they choose to work with SPS, they’re selecting an agency that has helped hundreds of families grow.

Work with a Trusted Surrogacy Agency

Whether you’re an individual who would like to grow your family with the help of a surrogate, or you’re a woman who would like to be a surrogate, SPS is here to support you. We match individuals up with our own proprietary process, which includes values and personality, to create teams that have a smooth surrogacy journey. We also make sure everything is seen to throughout the process, so everyone involved can relax and enjoy the pregnancy. Visit our “become a surrogate” page if you’d like to help a family. Individuals interested in growing their families with the help of a surrogate may complete our online form or call us directly at (949) 397-6855.