The landmark surrogacy reform set to take effect February 15, 2021, reverses New York’s ban on commercial gestational surrogacy, creating more equal opportunities for parenthood, a lifechanging act that SGF helps patients achieve through ethical and innovative treatment methods.
New York, NY – Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) supports the Child Parent Security Act (CPSA), a landmark surrogacy reform that New York lawmakers passed on April 2, 2020. The CPSA will allow residents to engage paid surrogacy contracts starting February 15, 2021. Numerous advocacy groups including Men Having Babies, a nonprofit that advocates for equal parenthood opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community, lobbied extensively in the state’s capital to make legal surrogacy in New York a reality.
Ron Poole-Dayan, Executive Director of Men Having Babies, said in a news statement, “The CPSA is the most comprehensive, thoughtful, and ethical surrogacy legislation ever drafted. It is particularly important now in the midst of a health crisis, to pass this legislation that provides New Yorkers an ethical and more practical path to realizing their parenthood dreams. This is landmark legislation, and we are proud of our lawmakers for taking this important step to help LGBTQ+ families prosper.”
When CPSA takes effect on February 15 in New York, the reform will enact numerous changes, including the:
- reversal of the ban on compensated surrogacy in New York State, while still prohibiting genetic (or “traditional”) surrogacy.
- establishment of parentage for the intended parents of surrogacy from the moment of birth.
- collaboration with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) to develop medical screening guidelines for potential surrogates.
- development of two formal and voluntary registries for egg donors and surrogate mothers.
SGF has been abreast of the reform’s development, with physicians like SGF New York’s Director of IVF, Anate Brauer, M.D., actively participating in candid discussions around what the future holds for gestational carriers in her home state. Most recently, Dr. Brauer will join the 16th annual New York Men Having Babies – Virtual Surrogacy Seminar & Gay Parenting Expo taking place on February 6 and 7 as a panelist for the “Medical Aspects of Surrogacy” session. Dr. Brauer will be in the company of fellow medical professionals to explore the medical screening of future fathers, egg donors, and surrogates, the creation of optimal embryos, and the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process.
“I’m grateful to be joining the Men Having Babies Conference & Expo at such a pivotal time for men who have their hearts set on fatherhood,” shares Dr. Brauer.
Along with Dr. Brauer’s panel at the event, SGF New York’s Medical Director, Tomer Singer, M.D., and Robert Setton, M.D., will lead a breakout session on important takeaways for attendees seeking information on family-building options.
What is Commercial Gestational Surrogacy?
Commercial gestational surrogacy is the act of financially compensating women to carry a child that has no biological connections to her. New York will soon emerge from the pool of three states — New York (changing on February 15), Michigan, and Louisiana — that expressly prohibit commercial gestational surrogacy.
In an NBC News article, co-sponsor of the bill Assemblywoman Amy Paulin explains how this new law offers the strongest protections to surrogates in the country. To pursue surrogacy, criteria require:
- The surrogate must be at least 21 years of age.
- Intended parents must pay for legal counsel for their surrogate.
- Intended parents must cover a surrogate’s health and life insurance during the pregnancy and a year after their surrogate gives birth.
“This law will allow families to avoid much of that pain by giving them the opportunity to have a family in New York and not travel around the country, incurring exorbitant costs simply because they want to be parents,” Paulin continued in a statement.
SGF offers options to become a parent through gestational carriers
SGF, one of the largest fertility centers in the country with offices in seven states and Santiago, Chile, has helped patients fulfill their dreams of parenthood through gestational surrogacy for more than 2 decades. SGF’s grand opening of its first full-service fertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) program in the heart of New York City occurred in early September 2019 and is scheduled to open a Brooklyn office in Spring 2021.
SGF has helped over 1,000 intended parents have a baby through treatment with a gestational carrier. The dedicated clinical and financial teams work with intended parents to guide them through their fertility journey. Patients using a gestational carrier are also able to qualify for SGF’s exclusive Shared Risk 100% Refund Program. With the CPSA reform, SGF will empower New York patients to follow a similar path without having to explore out-of-state surrogacy options.
One SGF patient story follows the journey of how two best friends — Stephanie from Maryland and Katie from New York — secured a bond for life when Stephanie acted as Katie’s gestational carrier. Stephanie turned to SGF for fertility treatment to have her three children, and shares how she returned once again, except this time as a gestational carrier:
“One day, I got a call from my close family friend, Katie, who had an unusual life-changing question for me. She desperately wanted to complete her family but was unable to carry another child on her own. So, she wanted to know if would be willing to help her and her husband have another child via gestational carrier. Katie and her [daughter] bonded right away, and little Grace is a nearly identical copy of Katie as a baby. Katie and I are closer than ever. We live in different cities, and we’re both busy people of course, but this experience helped us solidify that we are really family and we’re here for each other no matter what.”
For New York-based patients who are considering gestational surrogacy to grow their families, SGF is here to help with this treatment option, which is now available thanks to the reform. Contact the SGF New Patient Center at 1-888-761-1967 or complete a brief online request form to schedule a virtual fertility consult with an SGF physician. A virtual physician consult is the first step toward pursuing a pregnancy with the help of SGF.
About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)
SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 85,000 babies born and 5,000+ 5-star patient reviews. With 37 locations throughout FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, we offer patients virtual physician consults, deliver individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.
