Importance of public perception on the genetic link between parents and offspring in the determination of attitudes towards surrogacy.

Abstract

Introduction: Surrogacy, an unknown albeit discreetly commodified Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Sri Lanka might be controversial as it’s a third-party ART. Objective: To describe attitude and factors associated with surrogacy among 20-40-year- old adults in Sri Lanka. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among men and women aged 20-40 years, currently residing in Colombo District. Study instrument was an online questionnaire with close ended questions. Data collection was conducted among a sample recruited via snowball sampling method. Results: Acceptance of traditional surrogacy was lower among participants with positive attitudes towards the presence of genetic link between the parents and offspring (n = 168, 54.02%). In comparison, those who claimed that a genetic link was not of notable importance showed a significantly higher acceptance of the traditional form (n=80, 66.67%, p=0.017). A similar pattern in attitudes was observed in the acceptance of gestational surrogacy among the participants. However, the proportion of respondents who claimed that a genetic link was important and who also accepted the gestational form, was higher (n=245, 78.78%) than the proportion who accepted traditional surrogacy (p=0.012). Disapproval rates of gestational surrogacy among those who did not find a genetic link between parents and offspring dropped to a mere 10.83% (n=13) when compared to the traditional form. Conclusion: The need for genetic ties that links a parent to their children played a significant role in the formation of attitudes for and against surrogacy in general as well as between the two formats of the ART.