It's frustrating but is it really wrong to discuss what happens when it spreads? Not just it coming to the US but it going to any new countries. You could sub out the word US and replace it with literally any other country in the world and the responses would still stand - including other nations in West Africa.

Well that answers that. Not valid in this case because I am almost certain that there were gaps in what was communicated to the surrogate here (not to mention the fact that the procedure was illegal), but that is important to know in terms of the agency given to a surrogate when discussing these cases in the future.

well that why I asked if a contract would even hold up when the baby is involved.

Thanks. Do you know what the contracts look like in the states? Academically I mean, the same contract would obviously not apply in this situation. I'm just trying to understand where the decision making lies with something like this, all things being equal. There's a whole separate disturbing layer to this…

I sincerely appreciate your giving me the benefit of the doubt. Yes, I'm definitely not that naive. I was responding to Jupiter's comment

sorry on rereading I see that's worded poorly. By "here" I meant within the comment, not within this particular case - meaning for the kind of academic question I was asking about what's in a contract.

I actually said twice that I suspected she wasn't educated and that makes the contract suspect even if they did clarify about abortion. Twice.

They do have that conversation in the states - it's very clearly laid out. I'm not sure about surrogacy tourism.

I'm not sure that's accurate. At least in some cases, it has been written into the contract that if a surrogate continues a pregnancy against the parents' wishes, the parents have no responsibility towards the child. You obvioulsy get into the dicey question of whether legal contracts like that stand when there is a…

Not from an ethical perspective (in which case, obviously) but a contractual one - what level of bodily autonomy does a surrogate have exactly? I was under the impression that when you sign a surrogacy contract, it it the parents choice to abort the child (as well as insist on things like no alcohol and cigarettes,…

I have. Have you ever read an article before? They're asking for both front AND back end, according to the source cited.

This was the only remotely funny thing I've ever seen on that show. Literally.

This is gross. They should make what they're currently getting (which, as it is, is an appalling amount) and negotiate for a larger cut of the profits. That way they're paid according to their worth to the network. $24 million UP FRONT in addition to the back end? That's madness. I know the show is popular, but…

Satire it is.

hey now. No need to resort to slurs. Just end that comment before the comma and it does the job quite nicely

Sorry, I was beating a dead horse.

What about that sounds irrational? I wasn't planning on having biological kids but kind of feel I have to now, just to pass this along.

Shocking, isn't it? I must have been distracted by being called out in front of 100 people.

I'm going to be brutally honest with you right now. I don't think anyone in the 21st century could pull off black lace gloves other than the esteemed Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

She touched me. Physically, right on my arm. Emotionally, right in my heart.