Thursday, April 20, 2006

A Womb With a View


















Sorry. I just confused the real estate market with the womb market. In the real estate market, views are important. Ditto the number of bathrooms, neighborhood, school system and price. In the womb market, price is very important. Also, you can't purchase a womb; you have to rent one. Right now, the best place to find wombs at rock-bottom prices is India, where the womb business is booming. If any of my readers are interested in outsourcing childbirth, I can probably move your egg and sperm into some nice Indian digs for about $5,000. If you were to try that in the U.S. you're looking at paying between $15,000 to $50,000.

There's something a little unsettling about outsourcing childbirth to other countries. Because it's usually wealthy parents "renting" the womb of someone with scant financial means. And the Indian women who do this can make more money playing surrogate to a high-powered couple from the suburbs, than in five year's time in their own country doing anything else.

But maybe this is where we're headed, a new globalization frontier. Perhaps we can turn all third-world countries into baby factories for wealthier nations. And if third world peoples were carrying our babies, maybe we would try harder to ensure the health of those peoples and, of course, our babies.

5 comments:

Amadeo said...

What can't you outsource now...Can I hire someone from another country to take a woman shopping during football season...that would be cool.

Butternut said...

Amadeo, a gay man might do it for cheap. Ask around.

You know, I made a joke the other day that we should outsource our elderly care system. Send grandma to another country where it's cheaper for someone to ignore her. She won't remember anyway.

Womb rentals? Sure, why not. How about outsourcing soldiers to fight our wars? I guess that's called Mercenaries, been done. Well how about outsourcing my vacation? If you can outsource my job, why not? Take pictures, send me back the food and drinks, and I get to skip the V.D. and prison time. I miss Thailand.

Can we rent wombs if we're just going to eat the babies anyway? I think you're on to something here.

Speaking of gay men and outsourced children, Tom Cruise. Just sayin'.

"Z" said...

Now I can understand the reason for renting out a womb, selling your eggs or sperm. If it's not hurting anyone then why not, and you get paid thousands for doing so?! I've tried to find a sperm bank in my area to make a donation but sadly there are none..boohoo

"Z" said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ms. purity said...

AS intersting as it sounds, truthfully, I think the whole "renting a womb" concept is wrong. I can understand if a couple cannot conceive on their own therefore, the need; but to do it just because you are rich enough and don't want to actually go through the hassle of carrying it (i.e. getting fat, etc)? It's just crazy. If it is that much trouble that you don't want to slow down your life in appreciation of the whole process of giving life, maybe your selfish self shouldn't be bringing it into the world in the first place.

Most of all, I truly feel for the women so poor, down, and out that they actually agree to be a surrogate.

I'm just saying....