Banning or regulating? Surrogacy as an economic transaction.

Abstract

The paper discusses the surrogacy practice according to economic theory. An economic approach to the topic is justified by the development of a global industry exploiting human reproduction technologies. The characteristics of the service provided by the women to the client couple are analysed, shedding light on several intrinsic difficulties in designing a complete and efficient contract to regulate the transaction. In the light of this analysis the paper discusses the recent proposal to regulate a non-commercial form of surrogacy in Italy.