Pregnancy Contract or Womb for Rent? About the importance of terms in the construction of meaning

Abstract

In this article I will present the importance of critically revising the common uses of the terms to nominate the link established between those who gestate for other people and those who request gestation to acquire a baby. It is my intention to propose a more adequate term: relationship of surrogacy/ pregnancy replacement. To do so, first, I will briefly mention how the use of language in assisted reproduction is far from neutral. Secondly, I will examine the most used nomenclatures in Spanish such as “contract pregnancy”, “womb for rent”, among others, and I will analyze them considering two criteria: the role of the pregnant person and the kind of relationship between that who gestates and that/those who want/s to be the baby’s mother/s and father/s. Finally, I will use both criteria to propose a new term.