Push to give single women access to surrogacy in South Australia
A RENEWED push to allow single women to gain access to surrogacy in South Australia has been supported by a leading IVF firm.
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A RENEWED push to allow single women to gain access to surrogacy in South Australia has been supported by a top IVF firm.
New state laws give single women the right to undertake fertility treatment for the first time.
However, single women who cannot carry a child for medical reasons cannot use a surrogate mother instead.
An online petition to Premier Jay Weatherill and Independent MP Nick Xenophon is urging the State Government to legally allow single women the chance of parenthood through surrogacy.
Adelaide IVF clinic Repromed general manager Dr Hamish Hamilton said he fully supported the push.
“If you’re a single female, the law now allows you to have fertility treatment (however) if you’re infertile because you weren’t born with a uterus or if the mother was medically at risk of putting her own health at risk by carrying a baby then you can’t have a child,” he said.
“It is that aspect of discrimination, not being able to access surrogacy if your medical condition allows you not to be able to carry a baby.
“I don’t know if that was an oversight of parliament (but) my view is it (surrogacy for single women) should be allowed with proper controls.”
Recent law changes to the Reproductive Treatment Act means single women - and same sex couples - can for the first time access IVF treatment in South Australia.
Previously, same-sex couples could not use surrogacy as an option and all single women could not access fertility treatment unless they were deemed medically infertile.
Given single women can now freeze their eggs and have a child with donor sperm, Dr Hamilton said “the only difference (with this surrogacy push) is you’d be allowing a single person to have access to surrogacy.
“We’ve been lobbying many parliamentarians and the Health Minister for the (current) changes to remove the non-discriminatory aspects of the legislation,” he said.
“We were very happy patients don’t have to travel interstate to receive a service they can very easily access here in Adelaide.”
Assistant Minister to the Premier MP Katrine Hildyard said the issue of surrogacy was treated as a conscience vote by the Labor Party.
“I was very proud last year to introduce legislation that sought to remove discrimination, and enable South Australian LGBTIQ couples and single people to access surrogacy,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the provision for single people did not have the support of the House of Assembly and was removed by amendment before the Bill passed.” Ms Hildyard did not rule out fighting for the cause.
“I continue to support the rights of all South Australians to access surrogacy and to have control over how they will form their family,” she said.