The Nightmare of Being a Surrogate in Wartime

An ethical and logistical mess in Ukraine.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story May 6, 2022 Photograph by Nanna Heitmann/Magnum, for The New York Times. Even under the best of circumstances, surrogacy can be fraught. Now, Ukraine's surrogates are working under the worst of circumstances, forcing everyone involved — agencies, intended parents and surrogates — to make decisions based on imperfect information regarding matters of life and death. The starkness of war has laid bare the many ethical tensions that exist in surrogacy arrangements, casting into bold relief the power dynamics that underlie a contract in which a woman signs over the whole of her physical self. Ukraine's booming surrogacy business has become a logistical and ethical mess — and hell for the women at the center. Nanna Heitmann/Magnum, for The New York Times 'It's a Terrible Thing When a Grown Person Does Not Belong to Herself' Ukraine's booming surrogacy business has become a logistical and ethical mess — and hell for the women at the center. By Susan Dominus Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. MORE FROM THE MAGAZINE Cait Oppermann for The New York Times No American Has Ever Been No. 1 in Squash. Amanda Sobhy Can Change That. The first American-born player to crack the world's Top 10 is taking on Egypt's dominance of the game. By Michael Steinberger Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images; Meron Menghistab for The New York Times The Matador and Me: Coming to Terms with My Famously Ugly Lookalike What my resemblance to a Spanish bullfighter taught me about the dilemma beneath every human face. By Jon Mooallem Malike Sidibe for The New York Times Michael R. Jackson's Big Broadway Thriller With his bravura meta-musical, "A Strange Loop," the playwright is showing Broadway audiences something they have never seen before. By Niela Orr Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk Why Critics of Angry Woke College Kids Are Missing the Point "If we just focus on this generation's political style," says political theorist Wendy Brown, "we ignore their rage at the world they've inherited." By David Marchese Stay in touch: Follow us on Twitter (@NYTmag) or check us out on Instagram. Appreciated this email? Forward it to a friend and help us grow. Loved a story? Hated it? Write us a letter at magazine@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here to get the magazine newsletter. Listen to narrated versions of our articles every week. Download Audm for iPhone or Android. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The New York Times Magazine from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018