Withana, J.L.Beneragama, D.M.Grero, K.L.W.Carnage, T.G.J.N.Munasinghe, M.A.A.Pathiraja, R.P.Prathapan, S.2021-12-092021-12-092021Proceedings of the 30th Anniversary Academic Session Conference. Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya; 2021: 76http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/24116Poster Presentation Session 2: Basic, Applied and Clinical Sciences (PP 18) - 30th Anniversary Academic Session Conference, 28-31 October 2021, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri LankaIntroduction: 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.enSurrogacyAssisted Reproductive TechnologyImportance of public perception on the genetic link between parents and offspring in the determination of attitudes towards surrogacy.Article