Proponents contend that children can be protected by laws, regulations, and proper screening of surrogates. Moreover, they argue that outlawing the practice would only drive it underground and risk exposing children to greater harm. In their view, surrogates are or should be paid for gestational services and not for the baby. Supporters of surrogacy also point out that there is no documented evidence of harm to a child who has been relinquished by a surrogate mother. They contend that the practice is immoral, fragments the family, or undermines religious and secular values.
Opponents portray surrogacy as a form of baby selling.
To some, surrogacy is not an end in itself but a means to an end for adults who desire genetic offspring. Opponents of surrogacy contend that children should not be created with the expectation of adoption. They fear that the child resulting from a surrogacy arrangement could have difficulty understanding and accepting the nature of his or her origins, and that conflicts could arise over the custody of a normal or handicapped child. Those arguing against surrogacy also cite possible risks to the surrogate's other children and to adoptive children in general. For all these reasons, they conclude that the possible harm of surrogacy to children and to society outweigh its benefits.