Abortion ousting adoption in SA

Abortion ousting adoption in SA
16/01/2002 10:29  - (SA)  

Antoinette Pienaar, Beeld

Johannesburg - Since abortions were legalised in South Africa young pregnant women are opting rather for an abortion than putting their illegitimate babies up for adoption.

The shortage of white babies for adoption is so great that childless couples who do not want to adopt across the colour bar are deciding on surrogate mothers.

Advocate Bev Edwards (40) of Roodepoort, her husband, Peter (47), and a few other couples have been trying to establish an organisation called Surro-Moms-SA to try and match couples and surrogate mothers.

Edwards says: "Adoption has become virtually out of the question since abortion was legalised. Desperate couples call me up to twice weekly in the hopes of being introduced to surrogate mothers, however, I already have eight people on my waiting list."

A KwaZulu-Natal women is 19 weeks pregnant with Edwards and her husband's twins.

"Surrogate motherhood is legal in this country. It constitutes a contract between two adults. In terms of the law, the mother who gives birth is the legal parent, despite the fact that the ovum and sperm originated from childless couples. That is why they are required to adopt the child legally in a court of law."

It is illegal for the surrogate mother to receive payment. She may be compensated only for a loss of income and for medical expenses.

Court must see all financial deals

Edwards maintains that the contract between the surrogate mother and the couple, as well as any other financial transactions, has to be submitted in court.

Hundra Hallat (32) of Rayton outside Pretoria and her husband, Etienne (38), would dearly like to have a child of their own and contacted Beeld to place an advertisement for a surrogate mother.

Hallat said: "We have tried everything and I am not allowed to adopt since I have two children from a previous marriage."

She had a hysterectomy and does not mind who the surrogate mother is or what she looks like, as long as she is "proper" and willing to hand the baby to them.

Surrogate fertilisation can cost anything between R15 000 and R20 000 if the process involves implanting ova and sperms fertilised in vitro into the surrogate mother. Artificial fertilisation of the surrogate mother's ova with the man's sperm is much cheaper.

Johannesburg social worker Joan Nathanson says she receives calls from childless couples on a weekly basis: "There is a shortage of white babies and we are receiving more calls than every in the past."

Her assistant, Zoe Cohen, knows of people of have paid anything between R20 000 and R100 000 to surrogate mothers.

Dr Johan van Schouwenburg, who is helping the Edwards family, said he supports Surro-Mom-SA. "The motivation should not be profit as is the case in the US, but to help couples."

- Beeld