Leading Factors to Surrogacy From Pregnant Surrogate Mother's Vantage Point: A Qualitative Research

Infertility is the absence of pregnancy after 1 year of intercourse without contraceptive methods. This research aimed at exploring primary factors leading to surrogacy.
The present qualitative study was based on phenomenology approach. Participants were pregnant surrogate mothers referring to Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center in 2014. Sampling was conducted using purposeful method through which 5 women were selected. Data collection was done utilizing deep and unstructured interviews which were then analyzed based on Colaizzi method. Reliability and validity of this study consisted of 4 elements including dependability, credibility, transfer-ability and confirm ability.
The mean age ± standard error (SE) of participants was 32.4±0.4 years. Overall, after analyzing the interviews, 74 primary codes associated with leading factors of surrogacy were extracted. The primary codes were categorized into 7 subthemes, namely, life background, failures and ineffective efforts to improve life, economical impasse, seeking independence, altruism, compulsion, sin atonement and making a trade with God. Finally, these 7 subthemes were integrated and the theme of “primary factors leading to surrogacy” was made.
Care and support systems should be invigorated in Iran so that derelict women could have insurance and are not compelled to donate ovum or undertake surrogacy several times. Exploitation of these women should be prevented and harm to human dignity must not happen.