We often hear about umpteen family-building options catered to heterosexual couples or individuals. But what about same-sex couples? What are the viable conceiving options for them? We understand your concerns, just because you belong to the LGBT community doesn’t mean you cannot explore family-building options. When you begin researching the process of different alternatives, you are more likely to be confused with adoption vs surrogacy gay couples which method is viable for me and my partner?
Don’t worry, Global Star Surrogacy is here to assist you in choosing the best alternative for completing your family. Whether it is adoption or surrogacy, both methods share a few similarities and at the same time have a few vital differences. Although, both alternatives are very effective methods for achieving parenthood, especially for gay couples. Then how can one decide whether adoption vs surrogacy gay couples is ideal to embark on the journey as proud fathers? This blog entails the in-depth process of both alternatives, vital differences, and why surrogacy is the most considerable option for gay couples.
So before you commit to any of the processes, you can consult your doctor or adoption professionals to understand which alternatives are best suited for you. Or you can directly call us and understand the proceedings and surrogacy options for gay couples. However, to make your research phase and decision much easier, with the help of this blog we walk you through the basic understanding of adoption vs surrogacy gay couples.
Though LGBT couples have an equal right to expand their family and the process of adoption or surrogacy with gay couples is quite similar to other intended parents. Many states are surrogacy-friendly and support adoption options for gay couples, albeit you aren’t defined by your sexual orientation.
Let’s have a look at the different factors of adoption vs surrogacy gay couples and understand the process in detail.
- What is adoption?
- Few options for adoption for gay couples
- How does surrogacy look like for gay couples?
- Surrogacy options for gay couples?
- Adoption vs surrogacy gay couples – detailed differences
- Adoption or surrogacy- which is an ideal option?
What is adoption?
An adoption process includes welcoming the child to your home and nurturing him or her when the infant doesn’t belong to you genetically. Usually, when a woman undergoes an unplanned pregnancy and she isn’t ready yet to parent the baby, she would consider applying for adoption and partner up with an adoption professional to help her find the best-intended parents with good background and home so she can trust them and be relaxed that her child is going to a safe family.
In adoption, usually, it is a birth mother that decides whether prospective intended parents are trustworthy to hand over her child to them. And when she decides to finalize one couple, the adoption agency will conduct home supervision and other examinations to determine a prospective couple or individual fulfill the criteria for the procedure.
For gay couples, you need to make sure that when you consider an adoption agency they are LGBT-friendly and help you connect with birth parents who are okay with letting same-sex couple adopt their child. Moreover, if the genetic link isn’t your main concern then gay couples can choose adoption to complete their family. Although, there are more options for adoption for gay couples as well.
A few options for adoption for gay couples
The ideal way to begin your journey with adoption is by consulting an adoption agency or professional, though there are other options for adoption for gay couples that every intended parent must consider.
Domestic private child adoption
As we discussed above, when a woman finds herself pregnant she can consider applying for adoption and find qualified intended adoptive parents. The birth mother can be married or a teenager from college might go through accidental pregnancy. Whatever the situation of birth parents is, as gay adoptive parents to have access to various options for potential infants you need to undergo a domestic private child adoption process. When you consult a professional, they will assist you to connect with birth parents who are comfortable with gay adoptive parents.
International adoption alternative
Like surrogacy, even with adoption gay intended parents can consider traveling overseas to adopt a child. Though considering international adoption may not be the best suitable option as adoption rules worldwide are getting more restrictive, and not all countries legally recognize same-sex marriages which might make the adoption process difficult for you.
Though consider consulting with an agency that offers international adoption and understand the risk factors, wait time, and expenses to determine whether it is a viable option for you and your partner.
Adoption via foster care
A Foster care system can also be an option to complete your family. There are a lot of children who are waiting for years for the love, care, and support of a family. Though the only difference here is there are very few chances that you would get the option of adopting a newborn child, the children at foster care are from different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and locations and few children might belong to the LGBT community as well.
If location, culture, and age aren’t your concern area then the foster care system can help you fulfill your dream. Though, even foster care would have different established rules and processes for adoptive parents that you need to fulfill to adopt and bring your infant home successfully.
In addition, you need to contact a state foster care or foster care agency to begin your adoption procedure. Though, the process of foster care includes training for potential adoptive parents. And the benefit of this alternative is that the waiting period for adoption is lesser than other adoption alternatives, and the adoption cost would be affordable.
How does surrogacy look like for gay couples?
With assisted reproductive technology (ART) or surrogacy, conceiving a genetically linked child has become possible for hopeful gay couples or individuals. Surrogacy uses third-party reproduction i.e, a surrogate mother who gives consent to carry child surrogacy gay parents.
A surrogacy procedure is supported by a surrogacy contract which states the roles, responsibilities, and legal rights of both parties during and after the surrogacy journey. Once both of them sign the contract with consent, the intended parents can proceed with a medical procedure.
Now the process of gay parents surrogacy is similar to other intended parents. The only difference is heterosexuals can use gamete material i.e. sperm and eggs of both partners if they are fertile, though same-sex couples will have to look for a qualified and fertile egg donor who meets the criteria.
Another main difference is gay parents surrogacy only one of the partners gets a chance to share a genetic relationship with their child. The other partner will, later on, have to undergo extra-legal steps i.e. he will have to apply for second-parent adoption to obtain rights as the legal parent of his child on papers and the child’s birth certificate.
Once the gamete material is collected it is combined to form embryos and it is transferred to the surrogate mother once she confirms pregnancy, she will carry forward her journey with pregnancy by the time gay parents surrogacy can prepare themselves to foster and nurture their future baby.
Surrogacy options for gay couples
A lot of gay parents surrogacy are confused about whether they should embark on their journey with traditional surrogacy or gestational surrogacy. Let us first understand the difference between surrogacy options for gay couples
Traditional surrogacy.
Traditional surrogacy includes the procedure of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and the egg donor and surrogate are the same individuals i.e. surrogate mother uses her eggs which means she will have a biological link with the child. While the main purpose of choosing surrogacy for most intended parents is to have a genetic link with the child and this surrogacy option isn’t fulfilling well.
Additionally, gay couples might think that traditional surrogacy may be helpful for them as they won’t have to find an egg donor separately but just to save some time and a few dollars they may risk with major legal complications. Since a surrogate has a biological link with the child, she may get attached to the child and refuse to handover him or her over to you, or even if she isn’t attached to your infant, the legal procedure is a bit longer with traditional surrogacy. Also, many states do not recognize or permit gay parents surrogacy to practice traditional surrogacy.
Gestational surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy allows intended parents to share a biological link with the child even for gay parents surrogacy. In this kind of surrogacy, the surrogate does not have any connection with the child she just carries your infant for 9 months, and hence she is termed as a gestational carrier.
In the case of same-sex couples, the eggs are retrieved from the egg donor and meanwhile one or both of the partners will provide their sperm samples depending on the type of surrogacy program you have selected. Then, using the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) method embryos are formed, and then it is transferred into the surrogate’s womb to confirm her pregnancy.
In addition, Global Star Surrogacy offers different surrogacy programs that are catered to gay parents surrogacy. Let us explore different programs that can be beneficial for you.
Surrogacy with one partner having a biological link
As we discussed, in most cases, gay couples need to decide who gets the chance to provide gamete material to share a biological link with the baby. When one of the partner’s sperm samples is collected the fertility clinic can proceed with egg retrieval and another process for embryo formation and transfer with a surrogate.
Surrogacy including egg sharing
If both partners wish to have equal contributions with biological connection with their future baby then you can consider using egg sharing. This can be one of the viable surrogacy options for gay couples, as both partners can share equal genetic relations with their infant.
Usually, the process begins with collecting both the partner’s sperm samples and then combined with the fertilized eggs of one egg donor. This results in fulfilling the wish of same-sex couples to conceive a child that shares the genetics of both partners.
Surrogacy with 2 surrogates
Another surrogacy option is that same-sex couples can consider expanding their family. While the egg-sharing program may take time and if the intended parents want to increase the chances of conception and both of them want to share a genetic relationship with the child, then you consider finalizing 2 surrogates.
While this program can be helpful both of you can have genetic links separately, but there are a few drawbacks as well since you are choosing 2 surrogates the cost will increase as there would be compensation and an entire surrogacy process for 2 surrogates. In addition, the timeline of the legal process may get delayed, and monitoring the journey of surrogacy with each surrogate can feel daunting.
Though Global Star Surrogacy helps you manage both journeys easily and our programs are catered to give a hassle-free experience and provide services at affordable cost. If you have further doubts, you can directly consult us!
Adoption vs surrogacy gay couples – detailed differences
After determining the process of surrogacy and adoption you might have learned that one of the major differences between both methods is gay couples can benefit from conceiving genetically linked children through surrogacy. Whereas in adoption, you don’t have the liberty of sharing the biological link with your infant.
Let us explore a few more differences between adoption vs surrogacy gay couples and why most same-sex couples worldwide prefer surrogacy over other alternatives.
The cost of surrogacy and adoption varies significantly
When it comes to the cost of adoption and surrogacy, both methods can be quite expensive compared to other fertility treatments. Talking about adoption the total cost determines majorly by the factors of legal costs, agency fees, and medical costs to provide a birth mother. In surrogacy, the overall cost increases with additional factors like fertility or medical process costs, surrogate compensation, and donor fees.
In adoption vs surrogacy gay couple’s involvement in the process differs
The adoptive parents have very little or no involvement with the pregnancy of the birth mother. Depending on the decision of the birth parents, adoptive parents may or may not get a chance to visit the hospital for monthly check-ups or in the delivery room.
Furthermore, legally birth parents have the right to change their minds about whether to give their baby to adoptive parents in the middle of the journey. Hence, adoption brings along uncertainty as well to adoptive parents and they won’t have any control over the journey.
In comparison, surrogacy allows equal involvement for intended parents. At the beginning of the journey, an agency would help you form a surrogacy contract that outlines the expectations, roles, responsibilities, and legal rights of the parties. Furthermore, with every process that occurs in surrogacy agency makes sure that the intended parents are involved and made feel connected. And, no surrogate cannot back off from the journey in the middle of the process. Both parties are equally supported and have equal legal protection.
The timeline of adoption vs surrogacy gay couples differs
Though surrogacy is meant to be a tedious and time-consuming process as it involves a medical process, and matching with a surrogate and donor may delay the results. But, in the end, intended parents are assured to experience positive outcomes. The average estimated timeline of surrogacy is considered 14-24 months.
Whereas adoption does not include as tedious a process as surrogacy but adoption involves uncertainty which may delay the time for adoptive parents. The first is finding birth parents that are willing to allow you to adopt even if you find birth parents that find you as a perfect match and you surpass all the evaluations if they change their mind and refuse to hand over the child to you then you will have to undergo the process all over again.
Screening and matching process
Since surrogacy involves using the gamete materials of the egg donor and surrogate who carries a child for the intended parents, hence all the candidates need to go through a thorough examination and screening process to match with the intended parents.
An agency will take the candidate’s medical history, background check, and related things. Once they get a clear idea of their medical condition. Furthermore to determine a prospective egg donor and surrogate is fit and fertile is sent for physical screening tests like blood, drug test, and ultrasound. Once, experts get the results they will send candidates further for psychological screening. A counselor will conduct a session to determine their emotional stability and readiness for the process.
After all these processes, the qualified one’s profile is sent to the intended parents and then she finalizes and matches with one donor and surrogate.
In comparison, the adoption vs surrogacy gay couples screening process differs. In adoption, the birth mother doesn’t have to go through any examination. Instead, the potential adoptive parents are examined with home supervision, background, and social check whether they are capable to foster a child completely.
Acceptance of completing families for gay couples deviates
Gay parents wish to expand their families, but if your home country doesn’t allow surrogacy for same-sex couples you can still consider surrogacy as surrogacy laws differ from state to state. So even if your country doesn’t legally recognize surrogacy for you, many states across the world legally recognize surrogacy programs for LGBT or gay couples.
Whereas, in adoption traveling overseas may not be the ideal decision for you. As the laws of adoption for gay couples worldwide have become more complicated and restrictive which might make the adoption process more difficult and tedious for you.
In addition, not every birth parents are comfortable giving their children for adoption to gay couples. Whereas, surrogacy accepts gay couples internationally and aids them to fulfill their dreams of achieving fatherhood successfully.
Adoption or surrogacy – which is an ideal option?
There’s always an ongoing debate between surrogacy and adoption, and both of them are good options t consider. If conceiving a genetically linked child is not in your concerning topics, then adoption might the suitable path for you.
However, most gay couples choose surrogacy because it has fewer uncertainties, assures legal protection and the child’s legal custody, and lastly has better success rates. If you have more queries about surrogacy visit our website or book our free consultation call.
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