Not everyone can biologically have children. Some couples face infertility, while others are in same-sex relationships. There are also other situations where couples have genetic concerns and would rather use embryo, egg, or sperm donation to grow their family. No matter the reason for turning to assisted reproduction, the same is true for everyone: You simply must have an ironclad agreement in place to properly protect your parental rights.
Enforceable agreements protect intended parental rights
Deciding to become a surrogate: One woman's journey
More and more men and women are starting to come forward and share their own stories of infertility. For the millions of men and women affected by infertility, these stories can really help to show they are not alone and that this is something many people -- more than they may even realize -- deal with too.
Along with these stories of infertility, many are also sharing stories of surrogacy -- both from the perspective of the surrogate carrying the child to the parents anxiously awaiting the birth.
Proposed bill to strengthen surrogacy rights
Many couples anxiously look forward to the day when they can start their own family and welcome a child into the world. Unfortunately, for many couples it is not always as easy as deciding to have a child. Many end up facing their own infertility issues that prevent them from getting pregnant or carrying a child to full-term.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 12.1 percent of women who are the childbearing age struggle to conceive. In this same age range, 6.7 percent of women are infertile. Among this age group, 7.3 million women have turned to infertility services in hopes of having a successful pregnancy.
Do you want to donate your eggs? Understanding ovum donation.
Whether you want to help a friend or family member or just want to help someone you have never met, there are many reasons why you may be considering donating your eggs. In order to help you make up your mind on how to proceed, we will discuss a few facts of ovum donation.
Marriage does not guarantee parental rights for same-sex couples
With same-sex marriage legal across the country, gay and lesbian couples can now receive many of the same rights and benefits as heterosexual couples. However, as one recent Mississippi case shows, the law still has a long way to go when it comes to protecting the parental rights of same-sex couples.
In this case, two women decided to start a family together. In 2007, they adopted their son. In 2009, they wanted to get married. However, they were living in Mississippi where same-sex marriage was still illegal, so they traveled to Massachusetts to marry. After getting married, with the assistance of artificial insemination, one of the women became pregnant and the couple welcomed a second son in 2010.
Same sex couple denied deduction for surrogacy medical expenses
While tax season is still a few months away, for those spending money on costly medical procedures, the question of just how much your taxes are going to be and what is going to be deductible is always looming in the background.
For tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service allows for the deduction of medical expenses for medical expenses incurred to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent an illness or injury. The specific rule is that you can deduct the dollar amount for unreimbursed medical expenses that goes beyond 10 percent of your adjusted gross income. For example, if you make $90,000 a year, you can deduct anything that goes above $9,000 in unreimbursed medical expenses.
Surrogacy news: Pregnant surrogate gets pregnant again
Surrogacy is a truly wonderful process that gives couples who cannot or medically should not conceive the ability to bring children into this world. For the surrogate, she is able to help a couple in a way that few can - by carrying a child for them - while the couple gets to become parents.
"No woman in the world should have to live their life without experiencing the love and the bond from a mother and a child," one surrogate said to ABC News, in talking about her thinking behind wanting to carry a child for another couple.
Understanding the basics of embryo adoption
The time leading up to starting or expanding your family is exciting. For those looking to bring a child into this world through embryo donation, you will likely have a number of questions as you look further into starting the process. In this post, we hope to provide you with some basic information about embryo donation.
Kim Kardashian's infertility sheds light on gestational surrogacy
Infertility is more common than most people realize. For those couples learning they cannot conceive or carry a child, it can feel like you are alone in the world. However, the truth is that literally millions of men and women in the U.S. are experiencing infertility.
Celebrity Kim Kardashian recently went public with her own infertility. Due to medical complications with two previous pregnancies, her doctor has advised her against trying to carry another child. To expand their family, she and husband Kanye West are planning to have a gestational carrier (surrogate) carry their child for them.
Recent case examines parental rights issue
Same-sex couples often need to go through the adoption process when they wish to start a family. Since so many states lack adequate protections of the parental rights of these couples, adoption is one way for the parents to ensure that they will be able to spend time with the child in the event that the relationship ends.
From time to time, we come across cases from other states that highlight some of the difficulties that same-sex couples encounter when trying to adopt a child. A recent case out of Nevada shows exactly what can happen when things do not go according to plan.
