Here is little but steady demand for surrogate mothers in reproductive centers, and some of them have repeatedly participated in such programs. These women receive certain remuneration and acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies related to the peculiarities of this process.
Objective. To study the opinions of surrogate mothers and the expert community on whether surrogacy is a special labor that can become a profession for some women.
Materials and methods. Research materials were 16 in-depth interviews with surrogate mothers and 6 interviews with experts (reproductive physicians, reproductive psychologists). Results and conclusions. Although some international researchers have applied the term “labor” to commercial surrogacy, focusing on the exploitation of women in several countries and their lack of labor rights, this study found that most experts prefer to use the term “work”. Surrogate mothers also do not perceive their activities as labor. Each surrogate mother entering the program has a specific goal: to improve the life of both her own family and those who are bioparents. At the same time, most of them assess their attitude to surrogacy as a kind of purpose, a vocation, not just a work.