AZE.US
Advertisements offering women large payments to become surrogate mothers have appeared on social media in Azerbaijan, raising legal, medical and ethical concerns.
According to a televised report, some posts offer women up to 30,000 manats to carry and give birth to a child who is not biologically theirs.
Other advertisements mention payments starting from about $17,000.
The offers are reportedly aimed at women roughly between the ages of 20 and 39, with many of the posts circulating on Instagram.
Surrogacy usually involves transferring an embryo created from the genetic mother’s egg and the genetic father’s sperm into another woman’s uterus. The procedure is used in some countries when a woman cannot carry a pregnancy for medical reasons.
In Azerbaijan, however, surrogacy is not provided for under current legislation. Because of that, the report said, some intermediaries propose arranging the procedure in neighboring countries.
The issue remains highly sensitive in Azerbaijani society. Many people interviewed in the report said they oppose the practice, describing it as contrary to national and moral values. Others pointed to the emotional burden on a woman who carries a child for nine months, gives birth, sees the newborn and then has to hand the baby over to another family.
Clinical psychologist Rena Hasanalieva also warned women against accepting such offers. She said the emotional consequences could be serious, particularly because pregnancy and childbirth can create a strong psychological bond between the woman and the baby.
Medical risks are another concern. Specialists say surrogacy cannot be considered safe for every woman. Age, high blood pressure, excess weight and other health factors may increase the risks. Women younger than 18 or older than 40 are considered outside the acceptable medical range for such arrangements.
The financial aspect creates a separate layer of risk. Large payments can open the door to pressure, exploitation, informal intermediaries and criminal schemes. That makes social media advertisements especially dangerous, officials and experts warn.
Legal experts say that because surrogacy is not regulated in Azerbaijan, organizing such arrangements, acting as an intermediary or recruiting women online may lead to legal liability. If the procedure is carried out inside Azerbaijan, it may also be treated as unlicensed medical activity and result in administrative or criminal consequences.
The Interior Ministry said efforts against related violations are continuing. The ministry noted that using women as surrogate mothers may, in some cases, fall within the scope of human trafficking-related crimes.
At the same time, officials said no confirmed cases of women being used as surrogate mothers have been registered in Azerbaijan. Citizens were urged not to trust social media pages or advertisements offering large payments for such arrangements and to avoid actions prohibited by law.
The debate shows that surrogacy in Azerbaijan is no longer only a private medical question. Once large payments, social media recruitment and cross-border arrangements enter the picture, the issue becomes a broader matter of women’s safety, child protection and legal accountability.
AZE.US