Rise of gay dads sparks surrogate mums shortage

A HUGE increase in gay couples who want babies using surrogate mothers has forced a leading agency to turn away infertile heterosexual couples.

Both gay and straight people trying to start a family are now forced to use ‘risky’ online services that do not carry out medical or background checks on surrogates, the head of COTS (Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy) has warned.

Its chairman Kim Cotton said increased demand from the gay community, coupled with strict rules that prevent agencies advertising for surrogates, has led to a shortage.

She revealed that COTS has been forced to turn away infertile couples because they have no available surrogate mothers.

Another agency, Surrogacy UK, temporarily stopped taking new applicants last year.

Ms Cotton said: ‘We’ve been overwhelmed. We’re having new applications from gay couples every day.’ According to CAFCASS, the Government quango that represents the rights of children in the family courts, the number of same-sex couples applying for court orders to make them the legal parents of babies born through surrogacy has tripled – from 25 in 2013 to 78 this year.

Gill Watson, a surrogate mother who has had ten babies for infertile couples over 20 years, said: ‘A lot of my surrogate friends are working with gay couples now because they’ve flooded the market.

‘The agencies are struggling to meet demand.’

Ms Cotton said: ‘Of course, we’re not saying gay couples should not be able to have surrogate babies. But the rise in demand means that heterosexual couples have a harder time in finding a surrogate now.’

She said that desperate, wouldbe parents are turning to the internet and social media.

In some cases, couples have been tricked by women fraudulently posing as pregnant, conning them into handing over thousands of pounds.

Ms Cotton added: ‘It’s risky to go outside an agency. There are unscrupulous people who will take these couples for a ride and rip them off.’

It is illegal for women to advertise themselves as surrogates – and for anyone to profit from surrogacy. Only ‘reasonable expenses’ can be paid to surrogates.

Ms Cotton said: ‘If the Government changed our archaic surrogacy laws then we would be able to attract many more surrogate mothers and be able to meet the rise in demand.’

‘Agencies struggling to meet demand’