Can I Become a Surrogate Mother if I Have Herpes?
As a two time gestational surrogate mother and an author, as well as having many friends in the surrogacy community, I often hear women ask this question. Herpes is very common today, and does not automatically disqualify you from becoming a surrogate mother. All clinics will require potential gestational surrogate mothers to undergo extensive physical and psychological testing prior to becoming approved as an acceptable carrier. Part of this testing is complete STD panels for both the surrogate and her partner. Some clinics and intended parents will automatically disqualify any woman as a surrogate who has Herpes, but this is not a hard and fast rule. With proper arrangements, Herpes can become a non-issue. The main problem with the Herpes virus is that it can be transmitted to the baby at birth. The simple solution for this is that the surrogate mother delivers the baby via c-section instead of vaginally. The risk to the infant is only if there is an active Herpes infection present d
