Surrogates More Likely to Suffer from Mental Illness

DUBLIN — Ireland’s permissive stance on surrogacy has drawn scrutiny as evidence mounts of its harm to women. Lexi Ellingsworth, leader of StopSurrogacyNowUK, has challenged Ireland’s Health Minister, Caroll MacNeill, citing studies showing surrogate mothers face a 43% risk of new-onset mental health issues, compared to 29% for non-surrogacy pregnancies. A 2025 Canadian study and a 2018 Indian study confirm higher depression rates among surrogates, linked to emotional distress from relinquishing newborns.

Despite this, Ireland’s 2024 Assisted Human Reproduction Act allows the trade, ignoring concerns raised by Senator Ronan Mullen, who criticized it for enabling child exploitation and embryo experimentation. The Act passed without a vote, rejecting amendments to protect children. EuroJust’s 2024 report likens cross-border surrogacy to human trafficking, noting babies are often purchased from poorer nations like Mexico for as little as $20,000, compared to $250,000 in the U.S.

Ellingsworth urges Ireland to address the mental health risks to surrogates and ban the practice, arguing it reduces women and babies to commodities. As evidence of surrogacy’s harm grows, calls to criminalize this multi-billion-dollar industry intensify.

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