The History of Colorado Surrogacy and Its Future
Surrogacy has been practiced for thousands of years. The practice has evolved with the help of advances in medical technology, allowing women to carry children for deserving families without using their own eggs. As more states and countries begin to accept surrogacy, we can expect the industry to expand and the legal process to become more streamlined.
Surrogacy agencies such as Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado have kept up with the changes to guide intended parents and surrogates through the surrogacy process and will continue to do so as changes come.
Read on for more about the history of surrogacy and where it’s headed as an industry.
The History of Colorado Surrogacy
Traditional surrogacy is an old practice. To avoid divorce, women who were infertile would enlist the help of a younger woman to have her husband’s child. They could then remain married while their husbands still gained heirs. These early surrogates may have been servants and handmaidens or younger relatives. Historical texts, like the Bible, describe an example of traditional surrogacy with an older woman, Sarah, asking her handmaiden to have her husband Abraham’s child.
Traditional surrogacy brought many legal and moral considerations into play when women were asked to give up children who were related to them. This practice has limited the growth of surrogacy worldwide. In fact, it has now been banned across the US and is no longer considered a type of surrogacy. Fortunately, the advancement of medical technology has given surrogates and intended parents more options.
A Timeline of Modern Surrogacy
- 1975 – The first successful embryo transfer occurred
- 1976 – The first legal surrogacy agreement was made
- 1978 – The first baby was born from in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- 1980 – The first compensated surrogacy agreement was made
- 1982 – The first baby was born from an egg donation
- 1985 – Gestational surrogacy was first performed
- 1986 – “Baby M” was born to a traditional surrogate who fought to keep the child. Custody was awarded to the biological father with visitation rights granted to the surrogate
- 1999 – The Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR) allowed HIV positive men to father children without passing on the disease
Intended parents can now use donor eggs and sperm as needed to make a baby. Surrogates with a history of healthy pregnancies can be given an embryo transfer thanks to in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments to have a child not related to them. Gestational surrogacy has made parenthood accessible to many individuals and couples who would not otherwise have been able to have children. It has also reduced the concerns about legal or emotional difficulties in the process since the baby is biologically related to the intended parents.
The Future of Colorado Surrogacy
Intended parents and surrogates alike still face many obstacles when it comes to the surrogacy process.
While surrogacy is legal in many states in the United States, this limits the accessibility of surrogacy to many hopeful families. As more regions across the nation legalize surrogacy, more people who have difficulties with fertility or are unable to have children as a couple — including those in the LGBTQ+ community — will be able to expand their families and experience parenthood. For instance, individual states, such as Oklahoma, have updated their surrogacy legislation in the last few years. With more acceptance and increased numbers of surrogacy come more surrogacy agreements. Over time, the documentation process should become more standardized.
We can also expect medical techniques to improve over time, enhancing the success rates of embryo transfers and making surrogacy easier for both surrogates and intended parents.
Surrogacy agencies are a great way for intended parents and surrogates to access the care and support they need throughout the surrogacy process. With expanded surrogacy, more resources will become available to surrogates and intended parents will gain confidence in the reliability of the process.
The History of Colorado Surrogacy and Its Future
Surrogacy has already changed significantly from traditional to gestational surrogacy with the help of medical technology. You can expect it to keep growing and evolving as the industry ages.
Agencies like Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado will continue to offer guidance and support for intended parents and surrogates wanting to pursue surrogacy. For the latest news in surrogacy and help navigating your own surrogacy journey, reach out to our surrogacy specialists today.
If you are interested in learning more about your gestational surrogacy options, contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Madilyn Moeller is a writer and editor keen on translating the technical. Madilyn’s years of science writing shine through as she explains everything from health insurance to moving for her readers. Madilyn has a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Professional Writing, Psychology, and Neuroscience. She is a lifelong writer bringing her curiosity to the marketing stage, building websites and blogs for businesses moving online. She knows more about Medicare than any young adult should.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!