If scientists from Mars were to study the human male's reproductive system they would probably conclude that he is destined for rapid extinction. Compared to other mammals, humans produce relatively low numbers of viable sperm – sperm capable of making that long competitive swim to penetrate an unfertilised egg.
As many as one in five healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormal sperm counts. Even the sperm they do produce is often of poor quality. In fact only between 5 and 15 per cent of their sperm is, on average, good enough to be classed as "normal" under strict World Health Organisation rules – and these are young, healthy men. By contrast, more than 90 per cent of the sperm of a domestic bull or ram, or even laboratory rat, are normal.
Human males also suffer a disproportionately high incidence of reproductive problems, from congenital defects and undescended testes to cancer and impotency. As these also affect fertility, it's a minor miracle men are able to sire any children at all. In fact, an increasing number of men are finding themselves childless. Among the one in seven couples now classed as infertile, the "male factor" has been found to be the most commonly identified cause.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/929KHd
Friday, 30 April 2010
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Breakthrough Egg Freezing Technology to Offer Women a 'Backup Plan'
Shady Grove Fertility, the USA's largest fertility and IVF center, announces the opening of its Center for Fertility Preservation, offering the most advanced technology in egg freezing. The new technology "flash freezes" a woman's eggs until she's ready to conceive, and yields significantly higher pregnancy rates over older technology.
"A woman's ability to conceive is largely dependant on the age of her eggs," said Robert Stillman, MD, Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility Center. "Fertility is naturally declining with age, but the chances of getting pregnant drop off sharply after age 35. By the time she reaches her early 40's there is only a very small chance of achieving a healthy, natural pregnancy and delivery."
Until recently, older egg cryopreservation techniques were yielding unpredictable results and lower pregnancy rates. For this reason, they have been used primarily as a last resort for women with medical complications that compromise their fertility such as those at risk for premature menopause or those about to undergo cancer treatment. The unpredictable outcomes prevented most fertility centers from routinely offering the technology to women who wanted to proactively freeze and store their eggs for future use.
The Center for Fertility Preservation, along with a handful of other fertility centers across the U.S., is now able to offer a new, more successful egg freezing technique known as vitrification. Vitrification is a flash freezing technique which protects eggs from injury during the freezing and subsequent thawing process. The latest experience at Shady Grove Fertility and other leading groups consistently demonstrates dramatically improved pregnancy rates as compared to outcomes when using the now outdated, slow egg freezing methods.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bCxkGv
"A woman's ability to conceive is largely dependant on the age of her eggs," said Robert Stillman, MD, Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility Center. "Fertility is naturally declining with age, but the chances of getting pregnant drop off sharply after age 35. By the time she reaches her early 40's there is only a very small chance of achieving a healthy, natural pregnancy and delivery."
Until recently, older egg cryopreservation techniques were yielding unpredictable results and lower pregnancy rates. For this reason, they have been used primarily as a last resort for women with medical complications that compromise their fertility such as those at risk for premature menopause or those about to undergo cancer treatment. The unpredictable outcomes prevented most fertility centers from routinely offering the technology to women who wanted to proactively freeze and store their eggs for future use.
The Center for Fertility Preservation, along with a handful of other fertility centers across the U.S., is now able to offer a new, more successful egg freezing technique known as vitrification. Vitrification is a flash freezing technique which protects eggs from injury during the freezing and subsequent thawing process. The latest experience at Shady Grove Fertility and other leading groups consistently demonstrates dramatically improved pregnancy rates as compared to outcomes when using the now outdated, slow egg freezing methods.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bCxkGv
Monday, 26 April 2010
Been there, donated sperm and got the T-shirt
Should egg and sperm donors be rewarded with souvenir mugs and T-shirts? An independent think tank has launched a consultation to consider this and other wide-ranging ideas for increasing donations. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics will also canvass public and professional views on the consequences of allowing body tissues and organs to be openly sold and traded.
'There's a real demand for bodily material that's simply not being met. Demand significantly exceeds supply', said Dame Marilyn Strathern, professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University, who is leading the consultation working party.
Other ideas to be considered include: easing laws prohibiting the collection of eggs from dead people; helping recipients and donors to exchange thanks or tokens of appreciation; and improving technologies for saving organs and tissues from those who die outside hospital. According to Management in Practice, they will also look at 'presumed consent' systems, 'thank you' letters and certificates.
'Perhaps we should accept that we can only do so much to meet the ever increasing demand', said Professor Strathern in a Nuffield Council press release. 'We also need to think about the morality of pressing people to donate their bodily material. Offering payment or other incentives may encourage people to take risks or go against their beliefs in a way they would not have otherwise done'.
To find out more information go to
http://bit.ly/bL4opJ
'There's a real demand for bodily material that's simply not being met. Demand significantly exceeds supply', said Dame Marilyn Strathern, professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University, who is leading the consultation working party.
Other ideas to be considered include: easing laws prohibiting the collection of eggs from dead people; helping recipients and donors to exchange thanks or tokens of appreciation; and improving technologies for saving organs and tissues from those who die outside hospital. According to Management in Practice, they will also look at 'presumed consent' systems, 'thank you' letters and certificates.
'Perhaps we should accept that we can only do so much to meet the ever increasing demand', said Professor Strathern in a Nuffield Council press release. 'We also need to think about the morality of pressing people to donate their bodily material. Offering payment or other incentives may encourage people to take risks or go against their beliefs in a way they would not have otherwise done'.
To find out more information go to
http://bit.ly/bL4opJ
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Three women, one man create baby using surrogacy and egg donation
They are divided by geography and share no family link.
But Claire Horner, Cheryl Richards and Cathy Sidaway are united by a very special bond: they have joined forces to have a baby. After battling breast cancer three times, Mrs Horner's dearest wish was to have a baby brother or sister for her four-year-old son, Jack.
But doctors warned her and husband Dennis that she should not fall pregnant again as it could raise the risk of the cancer returning. So in a remarkable case Miss Sidaway donated her eggs, which were fertilised using Mr Horner's sperm and Mrs Richards agreed to act as a surrogate to carry the baby.
Now Mrs Richards is more than 12 weeks pregnant, in what is thought to be a British fertility care first. Consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist Mark Sedler, who is handling the case, said: 'It is the first time that we have had a situation like this where all parties know each other, yet are unrelated to each other, and there has been a successful ongoing pregnancy.'
Part-time magistrate and nursing sister Mrs Horner was just 37 when she was diagnosed with cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while on holiday with her husband, now 49. She underwent surgery to remove the lump, but the cancer returned for a second time a year later. At the time the couple, who live in Richmond, Surrey, were undergoing IVF treatment to start a family of their own but had to put their plans on hold.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/aTwGVp
But Claire Horner, Cheryl Richards and Cathy Sidaway are united by a very special bond: they have joined forces to have a baby. After battling breast cancer three times, Mrs Horner's dearest wish was to have a baby brother or sister for her four-year-old son, Jack.
But doctors warned her and husband Dennis that she should not fall pregnant again as it could raise the risk of the cancer returning. So in a remarkable case Miss Sidaway donated her eggs, which were fertilised using Mr Horner's sperm and Mrs Richards agreed to act as a surrogate to carry the baby.
Now Mrs Richards is more than 12 weeks pregnant, in what is thought to be a British fertility care first. Consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist Mark Sedler, who is handling the case, said: 'It is the first time that we have had a situation like this where all parties know each other, yet are unrelated to each other, and there has been a successful ongoing pregnancy.'
Part-time magistrate and nursing sister Mrs Horner was just 37 when she was diagnosed with cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while on holiday with her husband, now 49. She underwent surgery to remove the lump, but the cancer returned for a second time a year later. At the time the couple, who live in Richmond, Surrey, were undergoing IVF treatment to start a family of their own but had to put their plans on hold.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/aTwGVp
Friday, 16 April 2010
London Sperm Bank Launches
The UK's first stand-alone clinic focused on recruiting new sperm donors, has announced its opening. The London Sperm Bank (LSB) - licensed by fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) - will incorporate two existing sperm banks, the Louis Hughes Sperm Bank, and the London Women's Clinic's (LWC's) own bank.
'This significant partnership will provide hope to thousands of women who may otherwise struggle to find treatment with the current shortage of donor sperm', said LSB's scientific director Dr Kamal Ahuja.
The LSB aims to expand its current stock of approximately 10,000 sperm vials to provide a speedier service and wider choice to women seeking donors. It serves all the LWC's clinics at present, but hopes to broaden this scope to other HFEA-licensed fertility clinics in the UK by 2011.
'Our aim is to give women in the UK maximum choice without having to undertake expensive travel abroad', the LSB's website says. 'We support the HFEA's anxiety about women procuring sperm from non-licensed sources'.
The creation of the LSB is partly a response to the country's 'critical' shortage of donor sperm. In 2008, the British Fertility Society published a report on sperm donation which called for a 'national co-ordinated strategy' to improve the donor infrastructure in the UK.
To Read More go to http://bit.ly/bgUwqM
'This significant partnership will provide hope to thousands of women who may otherwise struggle to find treatment with the current shortage of donor sperm', said LSB's scientific director Dr Kamal Ahuja.
The LSB aims to expand its current stock of approximately 10,000 sperm vials to provide a speedier service and wider choice to women seeking donors. It serves all the LWC's clinics at present, but hopes to broaden this scope to other HFEA-licensed fertility clinics in the UK by 2011.
'Our aim is to give women in the UK maximum choice without having to undertake expensive travel abroad', the LSB's website says. 'We support the HFEA's anxiety about women procuring sperm from non-licensed sources'.
The creation of the LSB is partly a response to the country's 'critical' shortage of donor sperm. In 2008, the British Fertility Society published a report on sperm donation which called for a 'national co-ordinated strategy' to improve the donor infrastructure in the UK.
To Read More go to http://bit.ly/bgUwqM
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Designer baby with 'three parents' & no hereditary diseases ready in three years
Dozens of human embryos with three parents have been created by British scientists, ushering in an era of designer babies. The embryos - which effectively have two mothers and one father - have been genetically engineered to be free from incurable muscle, brain, heart and digestive illnesses, some of which kill within hours of being born. The Newcastle University researchers say that within as little as three years, it could allow women whose families are blighted by disease the chance of bringing a healthy child into the world.
But critics say the breakthrough is a step on the slippery slope towards human cloning and erodes the sanctity of human life. The cutting-edge research centres around mitochondria - sausage-shaped powerhouses inside cells which turn food into energy to be used by the brain and body. Each mitochondrion has is own DNA which gives instructions on how to build and operate the powerpack, or battery, and is passed down from mother to child. Serious defects in this DNA affect one in 6,500 babies and cause around 50 genetic diseases, some of which kill in infancy. With no cure for the conditions, which include some forms of diabetes, blindness and heart problems, women carrying diseased mitochondria often face the heartbreaking choice of whether it would be kinder to remain childless. The scientists have found a way of swopping the diseased DNA with healthy genetic material, creating embryos free of mitochondrial disease.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/aUrik6
But critics say the breakthrough is a step on the slippery slope towards human cloning and erodes the sanctity of human life. The cutting-edge research centres around mitochondria - sausage-shaped powerhouses inside cells which turn food into energy to be used by the brain and body. Each mitochondrion has is own DNA which gives instructions on how to build and operate the powerpack, or battery, and is passed down from mother to child. Serious defects in this DNA affect one in 6,500 babies and cause around 50 genetic diseases, some of which kill in infancy. With no cure for the conditions, which include some forms of diabetes, blindness and heart problems, women carrying diseased mitochondria often face the heartbreaking choice of whether it would be kinder to remain childless. The scientists have found a way of swopping the diseased DNA with healthy genetic material, creating embryos free of mitochondrial disease.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/aUrik6
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Critical sperm shortage in NSW Australia
A CRITICAL shortage of donor sperm has forced the state's largest IVF clinic to launch an online advertising campaign targeting male generosity.
Tougher restrictions on imported sperm has shrunk already scarce supplies while new legislation, which gives children the right to know the identity of their donor father, has seen a big decline in donor numbers.
Fertility experts said there were less than 10 registered sperm donors left in NSW, forcing many of the state's 24 IVF clinics to close the books on couples keen to conceive by donor insemination.
With tag lines "you've got millions to spare, we only need one" and "a donation to us won't save a life; hopefully it will create one", the online campaign will target websites.
IVF Australia said the ads were aimed at appealing to "men's generosity" as a donation could provide couples with the greatest gift, "a family of their own".
For further information please go to http://bit.ly/bqxQpJ
Tougher restrictions on imported sperm has shrunk already scarce supplies while new legislation, which gives children the right to know the identity of their donor father, has seen a big decline in donor numbers.
Fertility experts said there were less than 10 registered sperm donors left in NSW, forcing many of the state's 24 IVF clinics to close the books on couples keen to conceive by donor insemination.
With tag lines "you've got millions to spare, we only need one" and "a donation to us won't save a life; hopefully it will create one", the online campaign will target websites.
IVF Australia said the ads were aimed at appealing to "men's generosity" as a donation could provide couples with the greatest gift, "a family of their own".
For further information please go to http://bit.ly/bqxQpJ
Monday, 12 April 2010
Scientists link chemical in baby products to birth defects and cancer
Scientists yesterday called for a ban on a gender-bending chemical found in baby bottles and food containers. They said clear evidence from four studies linked bisphenol A to cancer, birth defects and heart disease. Last week Denmark became the first EU country to ban the chemical in food and drink containers for the under threes.
Some scientists believe bisphenol A, or BPA, interferes with the hormonal system by copying oestrogen. Although some animal studies have shown it to be safe, others have linked it to diseases such as breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and infertility.
It emerged earlier this month that Boots and Mothercare are still selling baby bottles manufactured using BPA. And, despite the concerns, the Food Standards Agency insists there is no evidence that the chemical harms humans.
Used to make shatterproof plastic, BPA is found in baby bottles, CD cases, spectacle lenses, cutlery, sports gear and the resins that line food and drink cans.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/cGsHZ3
Some scientists believe bisphenol A, or BPA, interferes with the hormonal system by copying oestrogen. Although some animal studies have shown it to be safe, others have linked it to diseases such as breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and infertility.
It emerged earlier this month that Boots and Mothercare are still selling baby bottles manufactured using BPA. And, despite the concerns, the Food Standards Agency insists there is no evidence that the chemical harms humans.
Used to make shatterproof plastic, BPA is found in baby bottles, CD cases, spectacle lenses, cutlery, sports gear and the resins that line food and drink cans.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/cGsHZ3
Thursday, 8 April 2010
More Healthy Women Freeze Eggs to Delay Childbearing
As more women delay childbearing until their 30s and 40s, a growing number are freezing their eggs in a process known as oocyte cryopreservation, the Chicago Tribune reports. The process is most commonly used by women undergoing medical treatments that could affect fertility. However, the procedure is now being marketed as an option for healthy women who want to delay having children.
Nicole Noyes, co-director of the Oocyte Cryopreservation Program at the New York University Fertility Center, said that women lose much of their natural fertility between ages 35 and 40 and that the quality of their eggs decreases with age, which can increase their chances of miscarrying.
The two- to three-week oocytpe cryopreservation process involves taking fertility medications that mature multiple eggs in the ovaries. Those eggs are then extracted, gently dehydrated and stored in liquid nitrogen. When the woman wants to become pregnant, the eggs are thawed, fertilized and transferred to the uterus as embryos.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/cDzJ3I
Nicole Noyes, co-director of the Oocyte Cryopreservation Program at the New York University Fertility Center, said that women lose much of their natural fertility between ages 35 and 40 and that the quality of their eggs decreases with age, which can increase their chances of miscarrying.
The two- to three-week oocytpe cryopreservation process involves taking fertility medications that mature multiple eggs in the ovaries. Those eggs are then extracted, gently dehydrated and stored in liquid nitrogen. When the woman wants to become pregnant, the eggs are thawed, fertilized and transferred to the uterus as embryos.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/cDzJ3I
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Drinking during pregnancy 'could increase epilepsy risk'
The research found that children who suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) – a condition caused by maternal drinking during pregnancy – were six times more likely to suffer from epilepsy as they grew older.
They were also more likely to suffer at least one seizure at some point in their lives.
Previous research has indicated a connection between drinking during pregnancy and rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and even Parkinson's and stroke.
Neuroscientists said the latest study added to growing understanding about the risks posed to unborn babies by mothers' alcohol consumption, but added that it was difficult to establish a causal link between drinking and epilepsy.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bl3HEc
They were also more likely to suffer at least one seizure at some point in their lives.
Previous research has indicated a connection between drinking during pregnancy and rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and even Parkinson's and stroke.
Neuroscientists said the latest study added to growing understanding about the risks posed to unborn babies by mothers' alcohol consumption, but added that it was difficult to establish a causal link between drinking and epilepsy.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bl3HEc
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Happy Easter from Pride Angel
We wish all our members a very Happy Easter and Springtime .
Why does the Easter bunny distribute eggs? It turns out the egg-toting Easter bunny evolves from a mythic German goddess named Ostara, (Oestre / Eastre) who was the Germanic Goddess of Springtime. According to the Encycolopedia Mythica:
"In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse then she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived."
http://bit.ly/9wZPHu
Why does the Easter bunny distribute eggs? It turns out the egg-toting Easter bunny evolves from a mythic German goddess named Ostara, (Oestre / Eastre) who was the Germanic Goddess of Springtime. According to the Encycolopedia Mythica:
"In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse then she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived."
http://bit.ly/9wZPHu
Egg donors: US students paid too much?
US ethical guidelines on compensation for egg donation are frequently being breached and student donors with higher-than-average SAT scores are being offered higher compensation for their eggs, according to a US study.
Professor Aaron Levine of the Georgia Institute of Technology concluded that the voluntary guidelines issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) may not work and questioned the ethical protection afforded to egg donors. He looked at over 100 egg donation advertisements placed in 63 student newspapers. Nearly one quarter of advertisements offered compensation exceeding $10,000 and another quarter offered compensation between $5,000 and $10,000.
The US fertility industry relies upon self-regulation, but the ASRM recommends that compensation for eggs over $5,000 requires 'justification' and exceeding $10,000 is 'not appropriate'. The ASRM considers the $5,000 threshold as fair compensation for the donor's efforts and expense, but not enough to amount to exploitation or unfair inducement. Many commentators are ethically opposed to the perceived payment for eggs because it presents a financial inducement for women to assume health risks associated with egg donation and may also lead to the commoditisation of human tissue.
Professor Levine also discovered anecdotal evidence that egg donors who can show higher educational achievements are paid more for their eggs than those who cannot. Average SAT scores were a 'strong predictor' of compensation offered. An increase of 100 SAT points correlated to an increase in egg value by $2,350. This increased to $5,780 for advertisements placed by donor agencies. Fertility clinics, however, offered the same amount of compensation to all donors, regardless of academic attainment.
Professor Levine concluded that: 'donor agencies and couples valued specific donor characteristics and based compensation on these preferences - a violation of the guidelines'.
John Robertson, ASRM Ethics Committee Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Texas, writing in an editorial in the same issue, said that donors are currently given an arbitrary amount of compensation and there is no consensus on what is appropriate or may amount to inappropriate inducement. Professor Robertson said that the issue cannot be left to the fertility experts, but warned that giving the guidelines greater legal status may push the issue behind closed doors.
Professor Levine published his findings in the March 2010 edition of the Hastings Center Report.
www.prideangel.com
Professor Aaron Levine of the Georgia Institute of Technology concluded that the voluntary guidelines issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) may not work and questioned the ethical protection afforded to egg donors. He looked at over 100 egg donation advertisements placed in 63 student newspapers. Nearly one quarter of advertisements offered compensation exceeding $10,000 and another quarter offered compensation between $5,000 and $10,000.
The US fertility industry relies upon self-regulation, but the ASRM recommends that compensation for eggs over $5,000 requires 'justification' and exceeding $10,000 is 'not appropriate'. The ASRM considers the $5,000 threshold as fair compensation for the donor's efforts and expense, but not enough to amount to exploitation or unfair inducement. Many commentators are ethically opposed to the perceived payment for eggs because it presents a financial inducement for women to assume health risks associated with egg donation and may also lead to the commoditisation of human tissue.
Professor Levine also discovered anecdotal evidence that egg donors who can show higher educational achievements are paid more for their eggs than those who cannot. Average SAT scores were a 'strong predictor' of compensation offered. An increase of 100 SAT points correlated to an increase in egg value by $2,350. This increased to $5,780 for advertisements placed by donor agencies. Fertility clinics, however, offered the same amount of compensation to all donors, regardless of academic attainment.
Professor Levine concluded that: 'donor agencies and couples valued specific donor characteristics and based compensation on these preferences - a violation of the guidelines'.
John Robertson, ASRM Ethics Committee Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Texas, writing in an editorial in the same issue, said that donors are currently given an arbitrary amount of compensation and there is no consensus on what is appropriate or may amount to inappropriate inducement. Professor Robertson said that the issue cannot be left to the fertility experts, but warned that giving the guidelines greater legal status may push the issue behind closed doors.
Professor Levine published his findings in the March 2010 edition of the Hastings Center Report.
www.prideangel.com
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Gay and lesbian couples to be legal parents in UK law change
New legislation allowing same-sex couples to become the legal parents of children born following IVF or surrogacy will come into force next week. The law change will mean couples no longer need to be married to be named on their child's birth certificate and is intended to afford unmarried and same-sex couples the same rights to legal parenthood as married heterosexual couples. It forms the final stage of the implementation of the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.
Natalie Gamble, of the fertility law firm Gamble and Ghevaert, said that the new law would help ensure equality for same-sex parents. 'These changes bring the law up to date with the realities of modern 21st-century life and recognise that increasing numbers of same-sex and unmarried couples are having children together', she told the Guardian.
Previously, the woman who carried the child was automatically considered to be the legal parent. This meant that lesbian and gay couples would have to undergo a lengthy adoption process to become the legal parents of a child born following surrogacy.
The new law addresses this problem by allowing couples to obtain a parental order in court after the birth, regardless of their sexual orientation. Requirements for obtaining a parental order include that couple are in a stable relationship, have a biological link to the child, have entered into a surrogacy agreement without payment beyond expenses, and are acting in the interests of the child. If all the conditions are met, a parental order will be issued allowing both intended parents to be named on the birth certificate, and making them legally and financially responsible for their child. The child will be able to trace their biological mother when they reach 18 if they wish, but the names of their legal guardians will be listed on the birth certificate.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/clP10J
Natalie Gamble, of the fertility law firm Gamble and Ghevaert, said that the new law would help ensure equality for same-sex parents. 'These changes bring the law up to date with the realities of modern 21st-century life and recognise that increasing numbers of same-sex and unmarried couples are having children together', she told the Guardian.
Previously, the woman who carried the child was automatically considered to be the legal parent. This meant that lesbian and gay couples would have to undergo a lengthy adoption process to become the legal parents of a child born following surrogacy.
The new law addresses this problem by allowing couples to obtain a parental order in court after the birth, regardless of their sexual orientation. Requirements for obtaining a parental order include that couple are in a stable relationship, have a biological link to the child, have entered into a surrogacy agreement without payment beyond expenses, and are acting in the interests of the child. If all the conditions are met, a parental order will be issued allowing both intended parents to be named on the birth certificate, and making them legally and financially responsible for their child. The child will be able to trace their biological mother when they reach 18 if they wish, but the names of their legal guardians will be listed on the birth certificate.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/clP10J
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