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LAS VEGAS, May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Sensible Surrogacy is warning all childless couples to avoid surrogacy programs in Kenya. The decision is based on the risks of unregulated surrogacy programs generally, the lower quality of medical care in the country, as well as the general risk to some travelers in Nairobi.
Surrogacy has become a popular solution for childless couples to conceive their own families. But high costs, international prohibitions and claims of exploitation of women in developing countries have made the practice controversial.
Sensible Surrogacy had been informally advising Western clients from considering options in that region. Now there has been a more formal decision made to withdraw from the country completely.
"With restrictions appearing in southern and southeast Asia, several surrogacy agencies are offering low-cost options in Kenya and similar destinations," says Bill Houghton, director of Sensible Surrogacy. "The lure of being able to have a baby 'on the cheap' is attracting desperate couples into what could be a dangerous situation."
According to Houghton, the risks are too great and the chance of success in Kenya is mediocre. The consultancy now recommends new lower-cost programs in the United States, which are completely safe and have the highest success rates worldwide.
Estimates of infant mortality in Kenya for 2017 are 37 per 1,000 according to the CIA World Fact Book. That makes Kenya the 49th most dangerous place to have a child worldwide (out of 225 countries). Iraq and Papua New Guinea hold the subsequent spots on the CIA's list.
"We've checked with several online expat services, and they also warn foreigners about the quality of medical care," said Houghton. "International insurance providers warn that most health care facilities in Kenya are below international standards with limited resources, and limited capabilities."
Meanwhile the U.S. State Department continues to issue travel advisories for the country. The U.S. Crime and Safety report explicitly warns of violent street crime targeted at Westerners in Nairobi itself.
"Many of our clients are LGBT couples, and Kenya is notoriously homophobic," says Houghton. "About 90% of our LGBT couples who pursue surrogacy were forced to consider Kenya. We just can't justify putting these couples into a life-threatening environment when there are now such better options at home."
"While our primary focus has always been to help our childless couples start their own families, that goal doesn't exist in a vacuum," says Houghton. "We need to balance clients' desire to have a family with their own well-being, the likely success of a program in an underdeveloped country, and the availability of affordable alternatives."
Houghton points to the availability of Independent Surrogacy programs as a safe and affordable option for many childless families. His Consultancy is taking extraordinary steps to make that option available to more couples.
Independent Surrogacy is when the Intended Parents manage their own surrogacy journey without the help of a commercial agent, explains Houghton. That may seem complicated, but many of the tasks performed by an Agent can easily be done by most Parents. To support parents following the Independent Surrogacy route, the consultancy has recently launched an exclusive service to guide parents through the entire process.
While it's true that some U.S. surrogacy agencies are charging $120,000 or more for a complete cycle, Independent Surrogacy programs are now available for less than $70,000 USD. That makes Independent Surrogacy in the United Sates a viable option for many couples who would otherwise need to risk traveling to an unregulated country to conceive their families.
Sensible Surrogacy is an ethical IVF & surrogacy consultancy and publisher of the Sensible Surrogacy Guide, which is the definitive source for how surrogacy works for childless couples. Since 2012 they have advocated for affordable, complete and ethical surrogacy services through their overseas consultants and a network of medical and legal service providers.
SOURCE Sensible Surrogacy
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Surrogacy has become a popular solution for childless couples to conceive their own families. But high costs, international prohibitions and claims of exploitation of women in developing countries have made the practice controversial.
Sensible Surrogacy had been informally advising Western clients from considering options in that region. Now there has been a more formal decision made to withdraw from the country completely.
"With restrictions appearing in southern and southeast Asia, several surrogacy agencies are offering low-cost options in Kenya and similar destinations," says Bill Houghton, director of Sensible Surrogacy. "The lure of being able to have a baby 'on the cheap' is attracting desperate couples into what could be a dangerous situation."
According to Houghton, the risks are too great and the chance of success in Kenya is mediocre. The consultancy now recommends new lower-cost programs in the United States, which are completely safe and have the highest success rates worldwide.
Estimates of infant mortality in Kenya for 2017 are 37 per 1,000 according to the CIA World Fact Book. That makes Kenya the 49th most dangerous place to have a child worldwide (out of 225 countries). Iraq and Papua New Guinea hold the subsequent spots on the CIA's list.
"We've checked with several online expat services, and they also warn foreigners about the quality of medical care," said Houghton. "International insurance providers warn that most health care facilities in Kenya are below international standards with limited resources, and limited capabilities."
Meanwhile the U.S. State Department continues to issue travel advisories for the country. The U.S. Crime and Safety report explicitly warns of violent street crime targeted at Westerners in Nairobi itself.
"Many of our clients are LGBT couples, and Kenya is notoriously homophobic," says Houghton. "About 90% of our LGBT couples who pursue surrogacy were forced to consider Kenya. We just can't justify putting these couples into a life-threatening environment when there are now such better options at home."
"While our primary focus has always been to help our childless couples start their own families, that goal doesn't exist in a vacuum," says Houghton. "We need to balance clients' desire to have a family with their own well-being, the likely success of a program in an underdeveloped country, and the availability of affordable alternatives."
Houghton points to the availability of Independent Surrogacy programs as a safe and affordable option for many childless families. His Consultancy is taking extraordinary steps to make that option available to more couples.
Independent Surrogacy is when the Intended Parents manage their own surrogacy journey without the help of a commercial agent, explains Houghton. That may seem complicated, but many of the tasks performed by an Agent can easily be done by most Parents. To support parents following the Independent Surrogacy route, the consultancy has recently launched an exclusive service to guide parents through the entire process.
While it's true that some U.S. surrogacy agencies are charging $120,000 or more for a complete cycle, Independent Surrogacy programs are now available for less than $70,000 USD. That makes Independent Surrogacy in the United Sates a viable option for many couples who would otherwise need to risk traveling to an unregulated country to conceive their families.
Sensible Surrogacy is an ethical IVF & surrogacy consultancy and publisher of the Sensible Surrogacy Guide, which is the definitive source for how surrogacy works for childless couples. Since 2012 they have advocated for affordable, complete and ethical surrogacy services through their overseas consultants and a network of medical and legal service providers.
SOURCE Sensible Surrogacy
