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The Bad Mother: Stigma, Abortion and Surrogacy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Extract

Surrogacy and abortion represent two facets of procreative liberty, the right to reproduce and the right to avoid reproducing. Research on stigma associated with abortion and surrogacy illuminates how these very different experiences carry similar stigmatic harm. Why do certain decisions about reproduction engender social support, other decisions social disapproval? Restrictions on surrogacy and abortion derive from a common legal paradigm — state regulation on the pregnant body — that is rooted in traditional gender roles. Not all laws restricting abortion and surrogacy evince gender stereotyping. Abortion and surrogacy pose complex moral and social dilemmas. But research of stigma associated with abortion and surrogacy suggests that gender stereotypes play a role in the creation of stigma.

Type
Symposium
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2015

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Consideration of the stigma experienced by the Intended Mother (IM) is beyond the scope of this paper but a few points are worth noting. The stigma that attaches to the practice of surrogacy is likely a common experience for both the surrogate and the IM. An IM may also have to confront stigma associated with infertility. On the other hand, IMs may benefit from greater social support than surrogates. See “Psychological Trait, supra note 69, at 2293.Google Scholar
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