Humana reprodukcija – razmnoževanje človeka – je proces, pri katerem združitev ženske in moške gamete omogoči razvoj novega organizma. Rodnost v Sloveniji pada, kot tudi v drugih razvijajočih deželah – pari imajo težave z neplodnostjo. Po definiciji Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije (WHO) to pomeni nezmožnost imeti otroka. Par velja za neplodnega, če po dveh letih rednih spolnih odnosov brez kontracepcije ženska ni postala noseča in ni nobenega drugega razloga za neplodnost.
V Sloveniji je neplodnih 10 do 15 odstotkov parov, zato je zdravljenje le-te pomemben del javnega zdravstva. Tako zaradi težav z zanositvijo poišče medicinsko pomoč vedno več parov (okoli 1000 na leto).
V družbi se porajajo vprašanja, kako oziroma na kakšne načine se bo pomagalo ženskam in moškim pri zdravljenju neplodnosti, kdo bo upravičen do takšnega zdravljenja in kakšni pogoji bodo morali biti izpolnjeni. Pri tem ne gre samo za medicinski vidik – torej ali bodo v družbi dovoljeni kakšni drugi načini ali možnosti, da ženska postane mati. Še večje - moralno - vprašanje se poraja v primeru želje istospolnih partnerjev (predvsem moških), ko sploh ne gre za zdravljenje neplodnosti, gre zgolj za željo biti starš.
Najbolj sprejemljiv način za to v vseh družbah še vedno velja posvojitev. Razvoj medicine in z njo povezane tehnologije pa omogoča večanje možnosti odprave težav. Kot najbolj skrajna oblika zdravljenja je bila opravljena prva umetna oploditev leta 1983. V Sloveniji to področje ureja Zakon o zdravljenju neplodnosti in postopkih oploditve z biomedicinsko pomočjo, ki ureja zdravstvene ukrepe, s katerimi se ženski in moškemu pomaga pri spočetju otroka in se jima tako omogoči uresničiti svobodo odločanja o rojstvih svojih otrok. Torej ima na podlagi določil vsakdo pravico do zdravljenja neplodnosti (ugotavlja se vzroke neplodnosti oziroma zmanjšane plodnosti in se odpravlja le-te, bodisi z zdravili ali s kirurškimi posegi, lahko tudi s strokovnim svetovanjem).
Če pa ženska ne more zanositi niti z medicinsko pomočjo, je nadomestno materinstvo ena izmed možnosti, da ženska oziroma par zadovolji željo po starševstvu. Tako ima možnost dobiti otroka, ki ima vsaj genetske značilnosti očeta, kar v primerjavi s posvojitvijo nima. Institut nadomestnega materinstva pa se vse več uporablja kot izpolnitev želja po starševstvu pri istospolnih partnerjih (predvsem moških). Vprašanja, ki se pri tem pojavljajo: Kako priti do nadomestne matere?, Kakšni so stroški, povezani s tem?, Ali je možnost razdrtja dogovora o nadomestnem materinstvu po rojstvu otroka? V svetu obstajajo agencije, ki se ukvarjajo z zastopanjem nadomestnih mater in vzpostavljajo stike z zainteresiranimi pari (tudi istospolnimi).Human reproduction is a process during which the male and female gametes enable growth of a new organism.
The fertility rate in Slovenia is dropping, as it is in other developing countries – couples suffer infertility problems. By definition provided by The World Health Organization (WHO), this means the inability of having children. A couple is considered infertile after two years of regular sexual intercourse without conception the woman has not become pregnant and there is no other reason for infertility.
There is 10 to 15 percent of infertile couples in Slovenia, so treatments preventing infertility are an important part of public health. More and more couples with problems with conception seek medical assistance (around 1000 per year).
In society people wonder how or in what ways are women with infertility issues going to be helped, who is entitled to treatments and which conditions have to be met. The medical aspect of whether society will allow any other methods or options for a woman to become a mother is not the only concern. An even larger one is the moral question of same-sex couples (especially male) wanting to become parents – this is no longer an infertility issue, but a wish.
The most acceptable method for this in most societies is still adoption. The development of medicine and medical technology offers a wider range of options. The most extreme carried out treatment was artificial insemination in 1983. In Slovenia this field is regulated by the Law regarding infertility treatments and procedures of conception with biomedical help, which also regulates health measures with which a woman or a man is assisted to conceive a child and is thus enabled the freedom of deciding on the birth of their children. This means everyone has the right to infertility treatments (the causes of infertility or decreased fertility are looked into and researched, if possible also cured with medication, surgical procedures or expert counseling).
If the woman cannot conceive even with medical assistance, surrogacy may be one of the options for the woman or a couple to sate the desire of becoming parents. This way they can have a child that carries at least the father\u27s genes, which is an feat with adoption.
More and more same-sex couples (mainly male) use the Surrogacy Institute to fulfill their wishes of parenthood. Questions that surface alongside this are: How to come by a surrogate mother?, What are the costs related to this?, Is it possible to cancel the agreement and arrangement of surrogacy after the birth of the child?
In the world there are many agencies that deal with representing surrogate mothers and providing contacts to interested couples (even same-sex ones)
