Surrogacy care ethics: Relational challenges for nurses and midwives

Surrogacy remains an important option for some individuals and couples hoping to build a family, especially people with reproductive health issues, including those unable to carry a pregnancy, and some same-sex couples. However, advances in reproductive technology have raised complex ethical concerns, particularly around commercial surrogacy arrangements, where financial incentives, power imbalances, and conflicting interests may complicate the ethical landscape. This paper critically examines ethical dilemmas faced by nurses and midwives in surrogacy care, focussing on their role in safeguarding the autonomy, well-being, and rights of surrogates, intended parents, and the future child. The paper further explores care ethics as a complementary framework that emphasises relational and context-sensitive decision-making in surrogacy care.