Surrogacy DNA Testing: When is it Used?

Surrogacy is the term used to describe a woman who has agreed with another person or couple to carry and give birth to a child or children on behalf of another other person or couple. This woman is referred to as a surrogate mother. Surrogacy DNA tests has many uses in cases where couples have had a child by surrogacy. Surrogacy DNA testing actually refers to a number of different tests such as paternity testing, maternity testing, immigration testing (in cases where the parents want to claim the child’s citizenship) and legal surrogacy DNA testing.

There are generally 2 types of surrogacy that exist to date which are: Traditional surrogacy and Gestational surrogacy. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother’s fallopian tubes are implanted with sperm, sometimes of the male of the person or couple requesting surrogacy. In this type of surrogacy, the surrogate mother is legally bound to renounce her parental rights as the biological parent of the child or children. All rights are then transferred to the parent or parents who requested surrogacy.

In gestational surrogacy, the In Vitro fertilization (IVF) method is used and it is a more costly option compared to the traditional method. In this case, the surrogate mother is placed on hormone therapy, which is controlled in a laboratory.

Surrogacy: DNA Testing

There are several reasons why one would want to use DNA testing in cases of surrogacy. These include: proving biological relationships, immigration and citizenship, legal purposes and simple peace of mind.

Surrogacy is not available in all countries therefore if you live in a country where it may not be an option, then travelling to another country may be required. In such cases, when returning back with the child to your home country you may need to prove the relationship to country authorities. A parental DNA test for surrogacy may be given to authorities in order to gain legal access with the child back into the country.

The results of a surrogacy DNA test will provide a legal proof of relationship in cases where this is required. The parents might want to request citizenship for their child but given the child was born through surrogacy and often outside the country of origin of the parent/s, they might have to prove that they are the biological parents and that their egg or sperm was used.