Who controls a pregnancy is one question surrogacy contracts struggle to answer.

Surrogacy arrangements – agreements for someone to carry a pregnancy for the intended parents – have existed for millennia, and modern surrogacy contracts for half a century.

These contracts typically address parental rights, the possibility of abortion, medical instructions, health insurance and payment of expenses, each side with its own legal representation. The contracts are usually honored, resulting in thousands of babies born through surrogacy in the U.S., at a cost that can top US$200,000 when agencies are involved.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.