Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists celebrated National Surrogacy Awareness Month by conducting a survey to determine how much people know about starting a family using surrogacy.

The findings are especially intriguing as recent legal changes have made gestational surrogacy a viable family-building option for couples facing infertility, as well as same-sex couples hoping to experience the joy of parenthood. 

"Gestational surrogacy plays a vital role in growing many modern families," said Worldwide Surrogacy Founder and CEO, Victoria T. Ferrara. "It's fascinating to see that our polls show a significant lack of general knowledge about gestational surrogacy and how it benefits Intended Parents looking for assisted reproduction options."

In gestational surrogacy, an embryo using sperm from the Intended Father and egg from the Intended Mother (or made from gamete donors) is carried by a gestational surrogate. In contrast to traditional surrogacy, the gestational surrogate bears no genetic connection to the child she is carrying.

Some notable highlights from the survey reveal:

• 41% of respondents are unaware that there are options for couples facing infertility.
• 1 in 5 respondents hasn't heard of surrogacy as a family-building option.
• 73% of respondents do not know the difference between gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy.
• 60% of respondents would choose surrogacy as an option.
• 43% of respondents in same-sex couples know someone who has pursued a surrogacy journey as an Intended Parent to build their family.

Interested in reading more? Download the full survey highlights via the link below.