https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v20i9.12067
statistics
- 321 Abstract Views
- 126 PDF Views
- 0 HTML Views
- Cited by 1 article
authors
-
Zahra Ghane-Mokhallesouni
Zahra Ghane-Mokhallesouni
Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
-
Abbas Askari-Nodoushan
Abbas Askari-Nodoushan
Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
-
Hajieh Bibi Razeghi Nasrabad
Hajieh Bibi Razeghi Nasrabad
National Institute for Population Research (NIPR), Tehran, Iran.
-
Ahmad Kalateh Sadati
Ahmad Kalateh Sadati
Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
-
Razieh Dehghani Firouzabadi
Razieh Dehghani Firouzabadi
Research and Clinical Centre for Infertility, Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Published Date
- Oct 12, 2022
Representation of a ‘positive experience’ of surrogacy in Yazd, Iran: A qualitative study
Abstract
Background: The social and cultural challenges facing surrogate mothers have been explored in several studies. However, few studies have discussed the motivations of surrogate mothers, their expressions and interpretations of their lived experiences, and their feelings of personal and spiritual satisfaction.
Objective: This study aims to present the positive experiences of surrogate mothers from a phenomenological perspective.
Materials and Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, this study was conducted from September 2020 to January 2021 in the city of Yazd, Iran. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data among 12 participants with at least 1 experience of surrogate motherhood.
Results: Our findings showed that, despite having had harsh physical and socio-cultural experiences such as fear of social labeling and stigma, participants felt a kind of inner satisfaction and a positive view of their actions. A core theme found in the study was mothers’ satisfaction. The main categories included feminine self-sacrifice and positive rewards. Feminine self-sacrifice included 2 sub-categories: creating happiness and conveying motherly feelings, while positive rewards included good childbirth, family acceptance, and halal income.
Conclusion: This study showed that surrogate mothers experience conflicting feelings of inner satisfaction and social stigma during surrogacy. Some of those interviewed were willing to go through surrogacy again, but they feared social labeling and stigma, being misunderstood by others who are not fully informed about surrogacy, and being subjected to family and social disapproval.
Key words: Surrogate mothers, Emotions, Personal satisfaction, Infertility.
References
[2] Inhorn MC, Birenbaum-Carmeli D, Tremayne S, Gürtin ZB. Assisted reproduction and Middle East kinship: A regional and religious comparison. Reprod Biomed Soc Online 2017; 4: 41–51.
[3] Mitchell A, Fantasia HC. Understanding the effect of obesity on fertility among reproductive-age women. Nurs Womens Health 2016; 20: 368–376.
[4] Aznar J, Martínez Peris M. Gestational surrogacy: Current view. Linacre Q 2019; 86: 56–67.
[5] Ellenbogen A, Feldberg D, Lokshin V. Surrogacy: A worldwide demand. Implementation and ethical considerations. Gynecol Reprod Endocrinol Metab 2021; 2: 66–73.
[6] Stuvøy I. Troublesome reproduction: Surrogacy under scrutiny. Reprod Biomed Soc Online 2018; 7: 33–43.
[7] Razeghi Nasrabad HB, Alimondegari M, Karimi M. Infertility and coping strategies in men and women referring to Yazd Institute of Reproductive Sciences. J Fam Res 2021; 16: 473–492.
[8] Yadollahi Baghlouyi A, Azin M, Omani Samani R. The nature of surrogacy agreement in pregnancy according to the Iranian legal system. Iran J Forensic Med 2017; 23: 75– 83.
[9] Alamin S, Allahyari T, Ghorbani B, Sadeghitabar A, Karami MT. Failure in identity building as the main challenge of infertility: A qualitative study. J Reprod Infertil 2020; 21: 49–58.
[10] Molgora S, Baldini MP, Tamanza G, Somigliana E, Saita E. Individual and relational well-being at the start of an ART treatment: A focus on partners’ gender differences. Front Psychol 2020; 11: 2027.
[11] Taebi M, Alavi NM, Ahmadi SM. The experiences of surrogate mothers: A qualitative study. Nursing and Midwifery Studies 2020; 9: 51–59.
[12] Savabi Esfahani M, Sourinejad H, Adib Moghaddam E, Mohebbi Z. Psychological and social consequences of surrogacy in surrogate mother and the resulted child: A review study. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2019; 22: 73– 86.
[13] Ghane-Mokhallesouni Z, Razeghi-Nasrabad HB, AskariNodoushan A, Kalateh-Sadati A. Surrogate mothers, decision motivations and sense of commitment: A grounded theory. J Population Assoc Iran 2022; 16: 97– 131.
[14] Teman E, Berend Z. Surrogate non-motherhood: Israeli and US surrogates speak about kinship and parenthood. Anthropol Med 2018; 25: 296–310.
[15] Sadeghi HR, Malekahamdi H, Abdellahi A. Phenomenological experiences of the requesting mother for renting wombs. J Family Res 2014; 10: 401–421.
[16] Tremayne S, Akhondi MM. Conceiving IVF in Iran. Reprod Biomed Soc Online 2016; 2: 62–70.
[17] van Manen M, van Manen M. Doing phenomenological research and writing. Qual Health Res 2021; 31: 1069– 1082.
[18] McGrath C, Laliberte Rudman D. Using participant observation to enable critical understandings of disability in later life: An illustration conducted with older adults with low vision. Int J Qual Methods 2019; 18: 1–11.
[19] Tayebi Abolhasani A. Introduction to research methodology: Standard procedures for qualitative data analysis. J Sci Technol Policy Lett 2019; 9: 67–96.
[20] Northall T, Chang E, Hatcher D, Nicholls D. The application and tailoring of Colaizzi’s phenomenological approach in a hospital setting. Nurse Res 2020; 28: 20–25.
[21] Harland JA. Surrogacy, identity, parentage and children’s rights: Through the eyes of a child. Family Court Rev 2021; 59: 121–130.
[22] Teman E, Berend Z. Surrogacy as a family project: How surrogates articulate familial identity and belonging. J Family Issues 2021; 42: 1143–1165.
[23] Afshani SA, Abdoli AM, Hashempour M, Baghbeheshti M, Zolfaghari M. The attitudes of infertile couples towards assisted reproductive techniques in Yazd, Iran: A cross sectional study in 2014. Int J Reprod BioMed 2016; 14: 761– 768.
[24] Mahmoodian H, Saboorian N, Nabeiei P. Attitudes of infertile women towards surrogacy in Infertility Clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Sadra Med J 2017; 5: 131–140.
[25] Yee S, Goodman CV, Librach CL. Determinants of gestational surrogates’ satisfaction in relation to the characteristics of surrogacy cases. Reprod Biomed Online 2019; 39: 249–261.
[26] Yau A, Friedlander RL, Petrini A, Holt MC, White DE, Shin J, et al. Medical and mental health implications of gestational surrogacy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021; 225: 264–269.
[27] Holmstrom-Smith A. Free market feminism: Rereconsidering surrogacy. J Law Social Change 2021; 24: 443–484.
[28] Morshedi A, Alinajhad M. Financial ethics of Yazdi people: An active adaptation. Iran J Soc Stud 2019; 13: 111 137.
[29] Popoli-Yazdi MH. [The prince of the public bath (Shazde Hammam)]. Mashhad Papoli Publication; 2020. (in Persian)
[30] Dadkhah N, Asgari-Khanqah A, Baseri A, Mireskandari F. [Examining the lived experience of surrogate mothers from surrogacy.] Women in Development & Politics 2020; 18: 557–578. (in Persian)