There is a great difference in the screening of potential Surrogate Mothers versus the screening of the couple of future Intended Parents, which might be considered as an awful inequity. However, there is so – called “inequity” is based on quite obvious reasons:
1. the potential Surrogate Mothers are the group volunteering to do the usually behavior about which very little is understood;
2. the wish of the future Intended Parents to become parents is considered to be a normal desire, and this is why is has not been as scrutinized;
3. the majority of surrogacy programs historically presented themselves as the ones, which provide a service to the couples of Intended Parents; thus, they are reluctant to make them feel uncomfortable;
4. most physicians and surrogacy agencies’ leaders do not consider screening or gate keeping as their duty;
5. Surrogate Mothers are considered as and they really do have a great amount of power and control over the whole situation both as the legal mother and caretaker of the future child / children, and this is why they have been viewed as more threatening.
Anyway, the psychological screening of the couples of potential Intended Parents should include their general mental health condition assessment. In order to provide successful surrogacy agreement, it is important that the Intended Parents would be flexible, emphatic and ready to respond to new situations with resilience and ego – strength. Couples, which require great amounts of control, which are depressed, narcissistic, or which have some personality disorders, usually put themselves, their Surrogate Mother and the future child / children at great risk. There are also people, who happen to become mistrusting, and who are not able, or do not want to realize the importance of the surrogacy agreement, as it is, and they are just focused on the end result, and not on the process of surrogacy. That is why asking questions about how people make decisions, observing how they treat their Surrogate Mother and the staff of a surrogacy agency, as well as a review of history and lifestyle usually helps to reveal personality traits, which may possibly put the surrogacy agreement participant at risk.
As a rule the best tool for the situation revealing is considered to be a full discussion of all issues, which surround surrogacy agreement. It is extremely important to find out and assess how the couple of potential Intended Parents has come to the choice of having a baby in the result of a surrogacy. As a rule questions are addressed in one of the future Intended Parents is pursuing the option of surrogacy, if the choice if an informed one, if the couple has exhausted its options, and what they consider surrogacy can really provide for them. As with the Surrogate Mother population, why they prefer surrogacy is very revealing. There may be some inappropriate reasons, for example one spouse does not wish to consider any other option consequently perhaps forcing some uncomfortable choice on the other. Therefore, the majority of couples of potential Intended Parents prefer surrogacy because:
- they wish to have a child / children, who would be related to at least one of them genetically,
- they may also wish to take part in the pregnancy as well as in the delivery process,
- they desire to know and feel comfortable with the birth mother of their child / children;
- they need to avoid all possible fears as for the possibility of the returning the infant / infants to his or her / - their birth parents,
- there is lack of adoption opportunities in the state or country, in which the future Intended Parents reside.
The next important part of psychological assessment of the couple of the Intended Parents is considered to be their perception of the Surrogate Mother and their desire for the surrogacy contract. It is extremely important for the peace and resolution of all surrogacy agreement participants, if the future Intended Parents would be able to interact with their Surrogate Mother, as well as trust her, like her and be appreciative of the things this woman does for them. The difficult and intense process of achieving conception, the long pregnancy term, as well as the future years of reflection and wondering should be based on the couple of the Intended Parents being comfortable with their potential Surrogate Mother. In case if because of some reason the participants of a surrogacy agreement are not able to envision themselves in some sort of open relationship with each other, they should be not get involved into the process as it is, and the best way out for them would be to find another Surrogate Mother or another Intended Parents.
During the psychological evaluation of the Intended Parents, it is important to get to know about their beliefs and plans for the future. What are these people going to tell their child / children, and what will they be telling other people? Of no doubt, this part of assessment is to be culturally sensitive; however, the answers can help to see the couples’ resolution and readiness to the surrogacy agreement signing.
To some additional assessment psychological testing may be referred. It can also be helpful to provide follow – up interviews and / or a second interview by a colleague. The process of spouses’ interviewing separately, as well as together can be enlightening.
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