Surrogacy DNA Test

Surrogacy DNA Testing Options

Surrogacy has been a blessing, assisting those people who wish to have biological children but cannot for some reason do so through traditional conception. It can however, be a trying period and we, at easyDNA, fully understand this and provide DNA testing in strict confidentiality.

In many countries including France, Spain and the United Kingdom, surrogacy is illegal but in the USA, most states allow surrogacy. Note that surrogacy in the USA is bound by state laws and no federal laws have been, as yet, put in place. In some states, the commissioning parents might still need to undergo an adoption process and the surrogate mother will need to renounce her parental rights at the birth of the child. Ideally, before undergoing any type of surrogacy treatment, you should request the advice of an attorney who specializes in reproductive technology. Besides giving you the legal information you need, he or she will also help draw up a contract highlighting the legal obligations of the commissioning parents vis-à-vis the surrogate mother.

Ordering your test

Because cases of surrogacy can be so different one from the other, we encourage our clients to contact us to discuss their test.

easyDNA offers ISO 17025 accredited DNA testing. Our tests can be used for peace of mind or for legal cases or requiting immigration DNA testing to process the application

Traditional surrogacy

Traditional surrogacy is when another woman carries to full term the partial biological child of another couple. The child is genetically related to the commissioning father as usually it is his sperm that is used to inseminate the surrogate mother. The child is biologically related to the surrogate mother and to the commissioning father but is unrelated to the commissioning mother. To note that sometimes couples will ask a relative to act as a surrogate mother. Whilst this does not pose any complications or issues, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine advises against using a first degree relative as a surrogate.

Gestational surrogacy

With gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother only carries the baby on behalf of the commissioning parents and she is not genetically related to the child (although in some cases the commissioning parents might ask a relative to act as surrogate). In-Vitro fertilization is used to fertilize the sperm and the ova externally, under laboratory conditions, and the egg then implanted into the surrogate mother’s fallopian tube. The ova and the sperm cells are usually taken from the commissioning parents although donors might sometimes be used.

Gestational surrogacy can be advantageous to many couples who for whatever reason cannot conceive on their own. The child is the genetic offspring of the commissioning parents. The surrogate mother is essentially the incubator in this method, simply carrying the child to term for the intended parents.

Surrogacy amongst gay and lesbian couples

A rapidly growing use of surrogacy conception is for gay couples who, for obvious reasons, cannot conceive a child on their own. Surrogacy can involve, for example, a lesbian couple who can elect one partner to be the carrier as well as the egg donor. In this case only a sperm donor is needed to complete an otherwise traditional surrogacy. Many lesbian couples who want to be biologically involved their can elect to in-vitro fertilize one female partner using a sperm donation, and then implant the embryo in the other partner. In this case the child will be carried by one partner, and have the genetic makeup of the other allowing both mothers to partake in bringing the child into existence.

Gay men have fewer options when utilizing surrogacy conception but may elect to choose one partner or the other to donate sperm. In some cases, embryos using sperms from both males can be implanted and the conception left to chance.

DNA testing for surrogacy assurance

There have been many cases around the world where a simple mistake in the lab can have major consequences. In some cases, laboratories have mixed up the sperm and inseminated the surrogate mother with sperm that was not taken from the chosen donor or intended father. In other cases, the wrong embryos might have been implanted – embryos which were designated to another couple.

Cases of immigration might also require surrogacy DNA testing. If the commissioning parent/s is an American citizenship and their egg or sperm has been used, then the child born through surrogacy will also be able to claim American citizenship. Note that citizenship for children born overseas is regulated by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Sections 301 and/or 309.