The Surrogacy Conundrum: Separating ethno-religious and sociocultural Convention from Medical Progress in the Fight for Reproductive Justice: a research commentary

Abstract

This commentary explores the complex terrain of surrogacy in African contexts, particularly Nigeria, balancing its potential for reproductive choice with profound ethical, cultural, and health concerns. It highlights the distinction between traditional and gestational surrogacy and reflects on how social pressures, religious beliefs, and cultural notions—such as blood lineage and spiritual parentage—shape resistance in communities like the Yoruba, Igbo, and Ashanti. The article uses African data and case studies to challenge the idea that surrogacy is always exploitative or medically dangerous. It shows that maternal morbidity and neonatal outcomes in well-supported clinical settings are comparable to or better than expected, and many surrogates report having control over their own lives, being financially independent, and having strong family ties. The commentary vividly hints at the risk of illicit “baby factories” where surrogacy lacks legal foundation and advocates for regulated frameworks—a hybrid model combining judicial oversight, binding contracts, independent counselling, and fair compensation. Innovative solutions are proposed, including engaging traditional birth attendants as cultural mediators, amplifying surrogate voices to humanize the practice, and leveraging AI to improve assisted reproductive outcomes. Ultimately, the argument urges culturally sensitive policy design to destigmatize and ethically integrate surrogacy, a social gynecology concept, into reproductive justice in African societies.