The concept of having children for other people is not a new idea, in fact it is found in the Bible. In Genesis 16, Abraham and Sarah have a son by Hagar, Sarah's servant (Genesis 16:1-4). So surrogacy in its most basic form – a woman giving birth to a child for another person in the couple – is not a new concept. However, it is banned or void and unenforceable in five states. What's not to like about modern surrogacy? What is modern surrogacy? There are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. Traditional surrogacy is a contractual situation in which a woman becomes pregnant, through artificial insemination, using her own egg and a man's sperm. Gestational surrogacy refers to a contractual situation in which a woman agrees to have an in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryo implanted in her uterus (Gugucheva 6). In both types, the gestational mother, or the woman who carries a developing fetus in her uterus, agrees to give up her parental rights to the child. In traditional surrogacy the gestational mother is also the biological mother of the child, while in gestational motherhood the gametes of the intended parents or donors are used. The topic and morality of surrogacy has been debated for years for many reasons, but surrogacy, whether traditional or gestational, is moral. One of the most common reasons why people oppose surrogacy is the idea that it treats children as property. In an article on the moral problems associated with surrogacy, Jacqueline Laing argues that through surrogacy “children are treated as if they were mere commodities to which the clients are entitled” (Laing 117). She suggests that because people pay to bring children into the world, they are considered fabricated entities and... middle of paper... because of it. If a person is infertile or a couple cannot have children, surrogacy is not the only option. Charles Dougherty asks: “Why shouldn't infertile couples turn to adoption as a solution? Just because they desire a genetically related son or daughter – and that is not a morally defective desire? Isn't it self-indulgent to demand a “copy” of yourself and your partner when so many other children need loving homes?” (para. 6) and Faith Merino points out in her book Adoption and Surrogacy Pregnancy that when talking about surrogacy “there is little mention of the fact that more than 100,000 children in the United States are awaiting adoption” (22). Dougherty says it's selfish, and it is, in a way, but it's also a natural desire. Merino argues that “for many people, the need to have a child is a powerful biological drive.” (Merino 23)