Surrogacy refers to a type of assisted reproductive technology where there is an arrangement for a woman to carry and give birth to a child on behalf of another person or couple.
The parties to a surrogacy arrangement are the:
- birth mother– who will carry and give birth to the child
- arranged parent/s– who will raise the child.
The types of surrogacy permitted in Western Australia are:
- traditional surrogacy: using birth mother egg and arranged parent or donor sperm
- gestational surrogacy: using arranged parent and/or donor gametes.
The surrogacy arrangement must meet requirements set out in the Surrogacy Act 2008 and its related legislation. It must be approved by the Reproductive Technology Council of WA.
A surrogacy arrangement can only be made before the birth mother becomes pregnant.