The history of surrogacy dates back to biblical times. In fact, some people say it dates back to Sarah and Abraham. Some people say that it began even before them, and that it is only recorded about Abraham because it was written about him in the Bible. In many countries, surrogacy has existed before registration. Many cultures have belief systems that abide by the rules of surrogacy and those who disagree can be expelled from their families. Numerous religions and civilizations will truly celebrate surrogate mothers, for their good deeds and service to others. During the 1980s, the gay community used surrogate mothers to build their families, then society disapproved of it.
The American Indians were the first to truly begin the story of the surrogate mother in this part of the world. So we are looking back to the 1899s to see the beginning of this part of the story. If an Indian woman was found to be infertile, then her husband would go to the chief of his tribe and ask for help. They would then send him to see the healer, who would give the wife certain herbal concoctions. Then, after the witch doctor said that nothing could be done to help his wife, the husband would go to see the chief. He would be allowed to take another woman and get her pregnant, hopefully, so that he could father a child to continue his tribe. The barren wife would not have relations with the child. He would stay with his biological mother.
The American Indians were not the only civilization that used surrogate mothers to carry the family name and lineage. In recent European history it has been heard, especially in Spain, that kings took in several surrogate mothers until a son was born. The child’s surrogate mother would become the babysitter for all royal children. Children would be believed to be genetically related to the king and queen. Never knowing the truth. Obviously, things like this were kept secret, because if not, questions would be asked about his right to the throne.
Today, we are fortunate that due to technological advancements in this field of science, a woman can feel secure in knowing that although another woman is pregnant, her husband or partner has not had physical relations with the surrogate mother. Such things, in the past, have caused battles and disputes between the people involved and it is quite understandable. The technological solution has saved many families a lot of headaches.
In the United States, the first surrogacy agency was started by an attorney named Noel Keane in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He went on to create many more agencies that complied with surrogacy laws. Since then, there have been more than 30,000 births due to surrogacy laws. Society obviously feels that surrogacy is a viable solution for infertile women and gay men. There will always be those who criticize, but if they could only look at it from a different angle, they might see something different and even end up with a different point of view.