Criteria for selecting a surrogate mother.

OBJECTIVE: Provide background to the debate on the criteria for selecting a surrogate mother, if the procedure should be regulated in the Czech Republic. DESIGN: Qualitative content analysis of documents. SETTING: Faculty of Health and Social Studies, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budějovice; AK Prudil et al., Brno. METHODS: Several sources of data have been used: 1. Legal documents of several European countries where surrogate motherhood is regulated by law: UK, NL, Greece, Portugal. 2. The websites of agencies that mediate surrogate motherhood; analysed number: 23. RESULTS: The most frequently mentioned criterion for selection a surrogate mother was her parental status and gynecological history. Further, the requirements related to age, state of health (exclusion of psychiatric diagnosis), lifestyle. Less often, BMI requirements, citizenship, relationship with the applicant, marital status, impeccability, financial stability, number of procedures underwent. In addition, difficult-to-assess features, such as willingness to process or family support, are required. CONCLUSION: The criteria formulated by the SAR CGPS CLS are highly qualified, taking into account the complexity of the procedure. We recommend to reconsider the upper age limit and the number of procedures that an adept can pass (we recommend one). The psychologist should be qualified in psychodiagnostics. We recommend starting negotiations with professional psychological societies about his required qualifications. We also recommend accepting this procedure only for couples residing in the Czech Republic.