Bulgaria Childless Families Campaign for Legal Change

Chiildless mothers are campaigning for a change in Bulgaria's Family Code, to allow 'in vitro' fertilization for childless women. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian women who cannot bear children are campaigning for a change in Bulgarian law that would allow them to become surrogate mothers.

Radina Veleva, who represents the "I Want a Baby" Foundation in Bulgaria, is campaigning for women with no other possibilities to be given this opportunity.

She stated on Monday in a television interview that for many families, this is the only way to have a child. However, the option is not recognized by current Bulgarian law.

The law states that only a mother who actually gives birth, or one who has acquired this right by adopting a child, is legally acknowledged.

"There should be a separate section for people with medical problems. Those likely to benefit are people like me; other cases are those with multiple sclerosis, women with their uterus removed, those who have many times tried in vitro," explained Angelina Dimova, a mother who finds herself unable to bear children, after many years of trying.

According to Dimova, the result of the failure of the law to allow "in vitro" fertilization is that many Bulgarian women seek out the facility in Ukraine, where the cost of such a progam is about BGN 60 000.

if the law is not changed, the service will continue illegally, according to many affected couples and families.

Radina Dimova said that, whereas the procedure was already regulated in many European countries, such as Greece, Belgium, France, Spain, Romania, unless Bulgaria adopts new legislation, the situation would continue to be unregulated and open to commercial exploitation.

"There must be a change in the Family Code and Ordinance 28 for assisted reproduction," she stated. "Many women check out the online forums now and offer a service for "X Euro".

In an initiative to curb this practice, meetings with the Bulgarian parliamentary health committee have already taken place.

Veleva said that it was important to provoke a broad public debate on the issue, for people to understand the essence of surrogating and how it can help families.

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