INSTAR Connect by Vicky Bhargava

MuMbai calling: The First annual insTaR conference

One VisiOn. One VOice.

Miss Universe in support of INSTAR at Guwahati.

INSTAR Guidelines: A boon for surrogates and their families

For Private Distribution in the Medical Fraternity only

Dr. R. S. Sharma inaugurating the INSTAR Workshop, Delhi

www.instar.co.in www.instarorg.blogspot.in

from the

PRESIDENT’S desk

hird party Assisted Reproduction is facing its biggest challenges ever, not only in India but globally. It is a blessing for millions of couples who can be blessed with a child through this technology and the only option to complete their family for a few. Many couples have benefited and are likely to benefit if this treatment option remains available to them. A few stray incidents of unexpected behavior of intended parents, surrogate mothers, ART banks or ART clinics brings a bad name to this extremely useful treatment. These incidents have happened more outside India, in so called most “ethical and popular” surrogacy destinations to the “emerging preferred destinations” like Thailand and Mexico. If we see India, such incidents are minimal as compared to rest of the world. However systematic efforts are done to defame our nation and stop the ever rising reputation of India as the preferred destination for quality medical care at affordable price. Foreign lobbies are actively trying to suppress this development by all routes, i.e. pressuring the government to do unwanted modifications in procedures and laws, funding NGO’s to publish, propagate and project wrong data based on ill founded and ill conducted unreliable studies, funding “ research students” to find negative stories only in the name of research etc. I am really surprised, why none of them show even the glimpses of brighter side of the practice. Indian Council for Medical Research had worked hard and formed very good guidelines and all good centers are following the spirit of it, voluntarily. Just because these guidelines on ART are not a law as yet, third party ART is always projected as “UNREGULATED”, whereas the whole fraternity is trying to work with the highest standards of ethics. Even the ICMR guidelines are also being amended for unknown reasons. INSTAR is working towards the welfare of all the parties involved in third party ART from least privileged to most privileged. INSTAR is actively striving to spread awareness in the society about this modern treatment modality and remove negativity. INSTAR also promotes ethical and legal practices amongst its members. A blend of academic programmes and public awareness programmes is the unique achievement of INSTAR. INSTAR has achieved a lot in a very short time of its existence, like many academic and social awareness programmes, minimum compensation standards for surrogate mothers and egg donors, “INSTAR consensus survey” and much more. First “INSTAR Annual Conference” in Mumbai will be one more landmark. I thank my enthusiastic team to make all this happen and wish Dr. Kaushal Kadam and her team of Mumbai, all the very best for the upcoming conference.

from the

PATRON’S

desk

NSTAR was a much needed step to bring all components of Third Party Reproduction under one umbrella. Till recently all Infertility Specialists were practicing independently and facing more or less the same problems and issues. INSTAR has helped all of us to consolidate, discuss and move forward. The Society is now a voice for Specialists, Intended Parents, Surrogates, ART Banks and all others with a stake in Third Party Reproduction. It shall bring to the notice of the government and other governmental agencies the facts and realities of compensated surrogacy, address them and find a solution. India has emerged as a hub of surrogacy. Our familial and societal norms, strong values, proficiency in English, world class infrastructure and Doctors and the urge to help others has resulted in India becoming the preferred destination for surrogacy. INSTAR will be there to ensure that we continue as this and at the same time protect the interests of the surrogates and Intended Parents also.

from the

VICE PRESIDENT’S

desk

Dr Anoop Gupta Patron, INSTAR

from the

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS’

desk

wareness about third party reproduction will be of great help for infertile couples. INSTAR can play a big role in educating the oocyte, sperm donors and surrogate mothers. The aim of the Society should be to do justice to the donors and recipients. It also has an added responsibility of getting the ART Law enacted as soon as possible. Dr Pramod Kumar This will streamline the Third Party Assisted Sharma Reproduction medical practice in India. Sr. Vice President, INSTAR

ndia has emerged as a world leader in third party ART and Surrogacy worldwide because of excellent facilities, qualified specialists and the availability of surrogates. INSTAR was formed to facilitate Third Party Reproduction in India and has emerged as a National level Society which good relations with the government and authorities. INSTAR has laid down guidelines for Third Party Reproduction which protects the interests of surrogates, Intended Parents and the Clinics, which is the first of its kind. The need of the hour was a Society which could represent all constituents of Third Party Reproduction to the government. For the international Intended Parents, INSTAR is there to address their concerns.

little step may be the beginning of a great journey. INSTAR is that little step taken in the direction of protection of all parties involved in the third party reproduction Surrogates, Donors, Intended Parents, Doctors, Lawyers, Social activists etc. One woman transforming the life of another woman One woman empowering another woman. One woman being there for another woman. A symbiotic relationship. Let’s all work in the direction of putting a smile on all who desire parenthood. Dr Rita Bakshi Vice President, INSTAR

Dr S, Samundi Sankari Sr. Vice President, INSTAR

from the

SECRETARY’S

his is an exciting moment in time for ART and compensated surrogacy in India as INSTAR becomes a touchstone for what is the best practice in our field and we move towards being one of the few countries in the world with national guidelines. We are giving an Indian voice to our practice, to the clinics and agencies that work in this field and sharing our practice wisdom with each other and the world. We are encouraging our surrogates to find their own voice and share their own stories, rather than having others tell these stories. I would encourage all of you, who are interested and passionate about this work to join us, through formal membership of INSTAR or by attending one of our workshops, conferences or CME sessions and be part of process of change.

desk

Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour General Secretary INSTAR

from the

FINANCE SECRETARY’S LEGAL SECRETARY’S desk desk

o bring together all elements of Surrogacy on a common platform for mutual benefit is the purpose of INSTAR. We at INSTAR took a step in the right direction by issuing and adopting guidelines for compensated surrogacy in India. This small step of self regulation is a large step in the direction of transparency and ethical practices. It is our purpose to reach out and establish parameters which shall be industry landmarks. The surrogacy walk and conference held in New Delhi brought into sharp focus our efforts and will for the betterment of all parties involved in compensated surrogacy in India. It is our vision to invite all to join us in our efforts.

RT procedures are the need of the hour as infertility/childlessness is on the rise and are emotionally draining and socially unacceptable. It can adversely affect the relationship/bonding of a couple. Surrogacy is such a noble cause; it helps in building families and is the last resort for some couples. Our vision is to spread awareness, bring transparency and work towards a fair system so that the rights and the interests of the surrogate mothers/donors as well as that of the Intended Parents remains protected in the entire process. This can only be brought about by establishing ethical work protocols.

Dr Vikas Bajaj

Radhika Thapar Bahl

Finance Secretary, INSTAR

Advocate and Advisor

EDITORS SPEAK

OVERVIEW THE SURROGACY WALK INSTAR WORKSHOP

ndia takes a global lead in Third Party Reproduction with INSTAR (Indian Society for Third Party Assisted Reproduction) hosting two global events on the 20th of April, 2014 which were th ■ INSTAR Walk on Surrogacy on 20 April at Nehru Stadium, New Delhi ■ INSTAR Workshop with leaders from the field of legal, medical and government sector sharing the latest up to date information and clarifying questions. This was followed by a Press Release of events on 21st April, 2014 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

The Surrogacy Walk is a first for India, approximately 500 people including surrogate mothers, their husbands, their extended family members and doctors, lawyers, social workers and ART Banks walked together for a common theme - SURROGACY BUILDS FAMILIES.

t gives us immense pleasure that we are here again with the second issue of INSTAR Connect after the grand success of INSTAR Workshop and Surrogacy Walk conducted in Delhi which were the first of its kind globally. Through this newsletter, we endeavour to bring to you all the updates in and around the world of Third Party Reproduction. INSTAR is a world in itself, an innovation, a hope and definitely A FORUM WITH A VISION which boosts the concept of - “Surrogacy builds families”. Creating proper awareness about the positives of third party ART and mitigating the myths around it is an ongoing process which cannot be accomplished without the team work, efforts, blessings and endless enthusiasm of all associated and we thank all for being part of it and especially our President Dr. Bavishi for showing us the way. We have a humble request to all our readers to be part of INSTAR, as it is a forum designed especially for colleagues from the field of Third Party Assisted Reproduction to bring forth their views and share them on a common platform. So, kindly join INSTAR as members and make it strong to help us enable our vision. Dr Samit Sekhar & Dr Riccha Sharma Editors, INSTAR Connect

Celebrities And

SURROGATeS

sOhail khan After giving birth to Nirvaan, her ﬁrst son with Sohail Khan, in 2000, Seema Sachdeva Khan turned to a surrogate to further expand her family. The couple welcomed a son, Yohan, in 2011.

aMiR khan On December 1, actor Aamir Khan and his filmmaker-wife, Kiran Rao welcomed their first-born son, Azad Rao Khan. "This baby is especially dear to us because he was born to us after a long wait and some difficulty. We were advised to have a baby through IVFsurrogacy, and we feel very grateful to the Almighty that all has gone well".

This walk challenged the notion that surrogate mothers are abandoned by their families and husbands just because they are surrogates. It challenges the notion that their family looks down upon surrogate mothers. On the contrary, husbands and family members of surrogate mothers have come out in their support. The workshop was attended by Dr R.S. Sharma from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Embassies of over 20 countries were invited. ART Banks of Indian origin, Caucasian

origin and African Origin Egg donors gave their views - for the first time in India. According to ART Banks, the problems that arise are due to a minority of unscrupulous elements claiming to be ART Banks. This is done to cut costs of treatment as they don’t have complete paperwork etc. Only registered Companies who have applied for registration with the ICMR should be used by doctors and patients, this will go a long way in reducing the problems. Standardised Documentation for Surrogacy was given to all faculties and

shah Rukh khan Actor Shah Rukh Khan's third baby, AbRam, was born on May 27, 2013 with the help of a surrogate mother. SRK is the third Indian celeb to take the surrogacy route.

A BIG THANK YOU! The Surrogacy Walk was the perfect opportunity to felicitate our surrogate mothers who are the souls of compassion. Their grace, humanity and empathy for childless couples motivates them to make the ultimate sacriďŹ ce bearing a child for another.

Celebrities And

“This walk challenged the notion that Surrogate mothers are abandoned by their families and husbands just because they are surrogates”

SURROGATeS

Michelle sTaFFORD emmy Award-winning The Young & the Restless star Michelle Staﬀord is mom to daughterNatalia thanks to a surrogate mother. After unsuccessful attempts to conceive with several failed surgeries for egg retrieval, artiﬁcial insemination and invitro fertilization, the star said the process of trying to become pregnant was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

delegates - for reference purposes and have been vetted by Legal and Medical experts from the relevant field. The documents are in the local language and are an extension of the ICMR guidelines especially for post delivery care of the surrogate mothers and counselling for the process. A Survey cum Consensus Statement presented in the Conference on 21st of April relating to the field of Egg Donation with at least 60 participants including Doctors, ART Banks, legal experts, Counsellors and Social workers. All members of INSTAR are proud of the work of ICMR in bringing together National guidelines for ART that will guide practice across India in Third Party Reproduction rooting out disreputable parties and “middle men”. INSTAR members’ stand with ICMR in creating an Indian voice demonstrating best practice guidelines and is proud of being one of the few countries in the world with consistent guidelines for both ART; Third Party Reproduction & compensated surrogacy. Through this practice of INSTAR, members will demonstrate that surrogates are able to make informed decisions, supported by their families and are proud of their role in building families. At the INSTAR Walk where we had more than 500 surrogates and their family

members along with medical faculty, ART bank people, social workers, counsellors, fertility guides – which was quite encouraging and the massive response was beyond expectation which portrays that in the heart of hearts, everyone supports and accepts the fact that surrogacy fills a lacunae, completes a family and helps build society. It should not be looked down upon but should rather be encouraged. This is possible only by organizing events which create a massive public awareness - the basis of any innovation. This walk was followed up by the workshop which was presided and addressed by INSTAR President, Dr Himanshu Bavishi, ICMR Director General, Dr R.S. Sharma, INSTAR Vice President, Dr Rita Bakshi and INSTAR Secretary, Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour who enlightened the delegates about INSTAR, the organization, its aims and objectives. The workshop was attended by 250 delegates from all over the country and abroad & comprised of panel discussions covering all medical, legal, social and ethical aspects of third party reproduction. Masters of Ceremonies were- Dr Riccha Sharma (Delhi) and Dr Samit Shekhar (Hyderabad)

MaRissa jaReT Broadway actress of the famed musical Hairspray, Marissa Jaret Winokur underwent a hysterectomy at the age of 27 after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. Surrogacy was her “last chance” to become a mother. “For everybody that has a surrogate, that was their last chance. That was their last option – that was their only option. It’s the most amazing, wonderful thing, but it’s also a really hard decision to make because you’re trusting the most important thing to somebody. For me, that was the only way I was going to have a baby.” Mom to 4-year-old son Zev with husband Judah Miller, Marissa said they hope for another baby one day soon.

VISION

WORKSHOP & PANEL DISCUSSION

anel Discussions were chaired and moderated by experts in their respective fields. Each panel had 4-5 panelists from various aspects of ART. Through this issue of our newsletter INSTAR Connect, we will summarize the take home messages which were drawn at the end of the workshop. PANEL ON SPERM DONATION The first panel was related to the medical aspects of Sperm Donation and IUI/IVF cycles with donor sperm. It stressed the basics which are to be followed: Stringent selection criteria for sperm donors should be followed by ART banks. Donor’s spouse and recipient’s spouse written consent is a must. General and seminal parameters are to be seen with appropriate screening. Quarantine of six months is a must and no semen sample should be released prior to that. Counselling should be the first step.

Third Party Reproduction is a growing necessity in our present times and India is fast emerging as a centre of excellence for the same. Through INSTAR, we ensure that standard operating procedures are maintained, the treating doctors have a common voice in policy matters at the National level and the patients feel secure in having a national body and not just an individual to look after their interests.

DR RajeeV agaRwal executive Member, INSTAR

To promote ethical third party reproduction to help complete families. Streamlining compensated surrogacy by inculcating values and ethical practices. Sharing expertise and issues with governmental agencies and assisting the government in the drafting of the ART Bill are all part of ‘Vision INSTAR’.

The INSTAR workshop was inaugurated by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Dr R.S. Sharma, ICMR did the honours with Dr Himanshu Bavishi & Dr Riccha Sharma.

DR Vishal gOuR executive Member, INSTAR

Celebrities And

SURROGATeS

nicOle kiDMan Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban welcomed a daughter on July 8, 2008. But after a “roller-coaster ride with fertility.” “Having given birth and then being there to see my child born in that way, I felt so much love for our surrogate, gestational carrier,” Nicole said. The Academy Award-winner went on to discuss why she uses the term “gestational carrier” as opposed to “surrogate” - something she was criticized for. “We were trying to be accurate,” she shared. “The term ‘gestational carrier’ is used if it’s your biological child and if it isn’t, then you use ‘surrogate.’ I mean, who knows what it is. But she’s the most wonderful woman to do this for us.”

PANEL DISCUSSION ON MEDICAL ASPECTS OF EGG DONATION: The second panel discussion pertained to the Medical aspects of egg donation cycles, screening programme of the donor and after care, optimising outcomes and best practice. In this panel discussion it was stated that first and foremost is the appropriate indications followed by screening and the associated psychological factors such as stress levels of the couple should drop down before undertaking the treatment and transparency of the procedures followed should be there. Along with that the long term and the short term effects of egg donation were discussed. The egg donor thus has the same low risk of complications from IVF as an autologous IVF patient. Risks to recipient are mainly in the form of advanced age and henceforth medical implications.

chRis DaughTRy American Idol star Chris Daughtry and wife Deanna welcomed fraternal twins Noahand Adalynn via gestational carrier in November 2010.

INSTAR will launch a Surrogate helpline soon with a toll free number which will deﬁnitely be an innovation in Third Party Reproduction and a boon in itself.

VISION INSTAR is a third party reproductive society which is ﬁrst of its kind in India. Which is formed by Infertility Specialist, ART Banks, and Advocates. The main reason of forming this society to bring awareness among our society and have a positive attitude towards surrogacy and surrogates which are involved and to see all the clinics who are practicing surrogacy are in an ethical way.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON SURROGACY: Medical Aspects of Surrogacy cycles; Screening program of the surrogate mother and after care; Optimizing outcomes and best practice. As we are aware that surrogacy is a much talked, controversial topic and hence it is an important point of debate due to it’s complex and intricate association with the ethical, legal, medical, social and psychological aspects. Compensated surrogacy in India has helped thousands of couples worldwide to complete their family. These couples would have been without a child had it not been for the compassion of our surrogate mothers and the tireless efforts of our Doctors.

It was also agreed that the surrogate mother should make a choice between staying at a surrogate home or her own home with her family. MR. Deene VishnukanTh executive Member, INSTAR

INSTAR mission is to guide society as larger for understanding positive aspects of Surrogacy. A winwin situation for all in Third party reproduction. INSTAR’s mission is also to provide correct inputs related to third party reproduction to government agencies and other bodies involved in formulation of the ART Bill

RaVi shaRMa executive Member, INSTAR

Celebrities And

3rd October was declared as ‘Surrogacy Day of India’ by Dr Himanshu Bavishi, President, INSTAR .

SURROGATeS

siR elTOn jOhn Sir elton John and David Furnish welcomed their second son elijah on January 11, 2013. The doting daddies used the same surrogate mother for their 2-year-old son Zachary. “She is a wonderful, kind and loving woman,” Elton said of their surrogate, who thinks of her as “part of our family.” The couple used the same egg donor for both boys and have chosen not to ﬁnd out either of their son’s paternity.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON ART BANKS: ART Banks, Sourcing Egg donors and Surrogate mothers, Working with clinics, meeting expectations of all parties, surrogate mother accomodation, solution of problems. In this panel, the role of ART banks working in association with the ART Clinics was discussed. It was repeatedly stressed upon that only the ICMR registered ART banks should be enrolled in the ART procedures. This is necessary to ensure that proper screening of donors and surrogates is followed along with all legal paper work. Various clinical scenarios were discussed which rarely can happen in such treatment plans and how to prevent them. Transparency and systematic taking up helps prevent and resolve such unfortunate events.

Some ART banks also provide the facility of Surrogate Homes . NEXT TWO DISCUSSIONS dealt with Legal Social and Ethical aspects and the open house discussion involving question answer session interaction with the panelists and the audience with expertise advise and references. In between the panel discussions, there was quiz session organized by Masters of Ceremonies - Dr Riccha Sharma, New Delhi, Bournhall and Dr Samit Shekhar, Hyderabad, KIC, to actively involve the audience and make the show lively. Each panel was felicitated by the Respected Chairpersons and Guest of Honours. Lamp lighting by Dr R S Sharma(Director General ICMR) and INSTAR President Dr Himanshu Bavishi, and Executive Members of INSTAR.

elizabeTh banks What to Expect When You’re Expecting actress elizabeth Banks and husband Max Handelman have welcomed two sons via surrogate mother. “Like Felix, Magnus was born via gestational surrogate, this experience has exceeded all expectations, taught us a great deal about generosity and gratitude, and established a relationship that will last a lifetime.” “It was a womb issue for me. embryos wouldn’t implant,” she said of her fertility issues. “It’s a big leap, inviting this person into your life to do this amazing, important thing for you. And it’s hard losing that kind of control. But our surrogate is so extraordinary, and she’s still in our lives. She’s like an auntie.”

VISION

MHA NOTIFICATIONS

he workshop was a great success and was the first of its kind. It created a platform for Third Party Reproduction, bringing together specialists of diverse fields who have a common agenda Third Party Reproduction. It also paved a path for more such workshops in the future. It was a grand success because of the innovation, vision and the collaborative efforts of all involved since the infancy of this organization and we thank everyone for the same. INSTAR workshop was further given a fillip by our respected Director General, ICMR, Dr R S Sharma who enlightened us about the ART Draft Bill and the various notifications which have been released by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and will be released soon on their website. Here we highlight a few for our readers.

child/children of the couple commissioning surrogacy. iii. The couple will furnish an undertaking that they would take care of the child/children born through surrogacy. iv. The treatment should be done only at one of the registered ART Clinics recognized by ICMR. v. The couple should produce a duly notarized agreement between the applicant couple and the prospective Indian surrogate mother.

• Before the grant of visa, the foreign couple needs to be told that before leaving India for their return journey, ‘exit’ perNotifications from Govt. of India, mission from FRRO/FRO would be reMinistry of Home Affairs (Foreigners quired. Division)• Before granting ‘exit’, the FRRO/FRO (I) No.25022/74/2011-F.I dated 9th July, will see whether the foreign couple is car2012 rying a certificate from the ART Clinic (II) No.25022/74/2011-F.I dated 7th concerned regarding the fact that the March, 2013 child/children have been duly taken cus(III) No.25022/74/2011-F.I dated 16th tody by the foreigner and that the liabiliJuly, 2013 ties towards the Indian surrogate mother (IV) No.25022/74/2011-F.I dated 14th have been fully discharged as per the October, 2013 agreement. • A copy of the birth certificate(s) of the The appropriate visa category will be a surrogate child/children will be retained medical visa for foreign nationals who are by the FRRO/FRO along with photocoming to India for commissioning surcopies of the passport and visa of the forrogacy. eign parents. Such a visa may only be granted if the fol- • The foreign couple can be permitted to lowing conditions are fulfilled: visit Indian on a Tourist Visa for signing I. The foreign man and woman are duly agreement between the applicant couple married and the marriage should have and the prospective Indian Surrogate sustained at least for two years. mother. A letter from the Embassy of the foreign country in India or the Foreign Ministry Policy for import of Human Embryos of the Country should be enclosed with Human Embryo is classified under ITC the Visa application stating clearly that (HS) Code 0511 99 99 of Chapter 5 of ITC a) the country recognizes surrogacy and (HS) 2012, Schedule 1 (Import Policy). b) the child/children to be born to the Import of Human Embryo will be ‘free’ commissioning couple through the Insubject to a ‘No Objection Certificate’ dian surrogate mother will be permitted from Indian Council of Medical Research entry into their country as a biological (ICMR).

We promote the welfare of surrogate mothers by organising activities like indoor games, cooking, painting etc. Surrogate mothers should be allowed to stay with their family in surrogate home. Meditation/ Yoga classes should be organized for the surrogate mothers to help them stay healthy & active. Surrogate mothers should also share their feelings about pregnancy with the Intended Parents with the help of social media like Skype, video messages etc. so that the Intended Parents also feel connected with the surrogate mother throughout the pregnancy.

DR s. Mani executive Member, INSTAR Surrogacy is the need of the hour. It is the last resort for childless couples. Here genetic parents get a healthy baby and the surrogate mother gets the resources for the betterment of her family and herself. Surrogacy fulﬁlls the basic right of two families - ‘The Right To A Healthy Family’. There are however many parties involved in surrogacy and INSTAR is the right step to address the needs and concerns of all. There is ﬁnally a forum where all can meet and plan for the future.

DR DeePak gOenka executive Member, INSTAR

Celebrities And

SURROGATeS

INSTAR CONSENSUS ON EGG DONATION HOW DO WE MASTER THIS PRACTICE AS CLINICIANS by Dr Samit Sekhar & Dr Riccha Sharma

Ricky MaRTin Ricky Martin welcomed his twin sons, Valetino and Matteo, via surrogate in August 2008. He ﬁrst felt the urge to start a family many years ago. “I just sat in front of the computer, doing research, until I found surrogacy, and I was like: ‘Woah! This looks really interesting. I interviewed so many people that were part of this beautiful world, and I decided this was going to be my way.” And what about more kids in the future with his longtime love, Carlos Gonzalez Abella? Saying that he’d love to have “a daddy’s girl,” Ricky said he plans to go the surrogacy route again soon.

saRah jessica PaRkeR Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick welcomed son James Wilkie in October 2002. But the couple struggled to conceive again. “[We] tried and tried and tried and tried and tried to get pregnant, but it just was not to be, the conventional way—I would give birth as often as I could, if I could. I cherished all the milestones, the good and the bad,” she shared. The Sex and the City star spoke very highly of their gestational carrier, calling her “strong, bright, independent, thoughtful, caring, gracious and generous.”

t comprised of 60 participants who expressed their view points on various recommendations suggested by INSTAR on Egg donation. It was concluded that 1) Minimum compensation for egg donors in India (instead of commercial the term compensated be used - many countries who do commercial surrogacy even use the term altruistic as it is compensating for time and effort and loss of wages and not commercial) between 20,000 to 25,000 INR. 2) There should be a fixed upper limit on financial compensation so that this is not construed as luring/enticing egg donors but only compensating them. 3) Contracts should be in Local Language along with English. 4) Egg sharing from a donor should not decide the dose of medications as donor health and safety are primary concerns. 5) Realistic expectations for number of eggs collected from donor should be given to Intended Parents (can be based on antral follicle count scan) and efforts should be made to avoid complication like hyperstimulation. 6) List of potential complications should be discussed with the egg donor in Local Language as well as English as in the consent forms. 7) There will be a combined responsibility of (33.3%) intended parents, (30%) IVF clinic (36.6%) ART

bank for managing any extra care if required after the donation process. 8) Screening tests for egg donors as in form from ICMR Website M2 of the egg donation. Answer - 95% agree as per ICMR, 5% agree but want Additional tests as well. 9) Egg donor to be compensated fully if the egg collection process is done irrespective of number of eggs collected or quality of eggs or no eggs. Answer95% agree irrespective; 5% say that if donor has not disclosed history of substance abuse then their compensation must be reduced. 10) A form should be filled by the donor stating that she has not donated more than 6 times as per ICMR Rule. 11) A gap of at least 3 months should be kept between two egg donations Answer - 50% 2 months; 33.3% for 3 months; 16.33% between 2 to 3 months. 12) All centres should have vigilant post operative care as per ICMR and prevailing authority rules. 13) Donor anonymity to be maintained strictly. It an ongoing consensus and our aim is to increase the number of participants taking opinion at both national and international level from the all those related to ART procedures to get statistically significant results.

VISION

WORKSHOP SNAPSHOTS

ART is relatively a new science developing rapidly in India. This involves third parties such as egg & sperm donors, surrogate mothers, ART Specialists & Clinics, ART Banks, Lawyers etc., in the process making things more complicated. Complexities are Social, Cultural, Financial, Legal, Medical, ethical, emotional and much more. Rules and regulations are not yet ďŹ ne tuned as this whole thing is new. INSTAR is formed with the noble intention of taking care of all the parties involved in this and assisting the authorities in evolving the process to streamline the whole practice of third party reproduction.

MR sauRabh kuMaR executive Member, INSTAR The role of INSTAR is to gather all Indian doctors and make them big defenders of Surrogacy and IVF - which INSTAR does but how eďŹ&#x20AC;ectively so far it is another issue. Unfortunately what I see recently around Surrogacy and IVF in India gets complicated, involves more and more bureaucracy. INSTAR must somehow quietly resolve this problems with government. INSTAR must make India government understand that they must be proud of their IVF & Surrogacy doctors who are the best in the world.

DR MaRiaM kukunashVili executive Member, INSTAR

Celebrities And

SURROGATeS

RObeRT De niRO Intensely private couple Robert De Niro andGrace Hightower surprised the world when they announced they had welcomed a daughter, Helen Grace, via surrogate. De Niro was 68 at the time of the birth, while Hightower was 56. The baby girl joins big brother eliot, now 14. This isn't the ﬁrst time De Niro has experienced childbirth via surrogate: In 1995 he welcomed twin sons via surrogate.

neil PaTRick haRRis On Oct. 12, 2010, Neil Patrick Harris and his partner, David Burtka, welcomed their ﬁrst children - a boy and a girl via surrogate! The How I Met Your Mother star told fans of twins Gideon Scott and Harper Grace's arrival on Twitter. "All of us are happy, healthy & tired ."

Dennis quaiD In November 2007, Dennis Quaid and wife Kimberly welcomed their ﬁrst children, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, via surrogate.

Celebrities And

SURROGATeS

cRisTianO ROnalDO During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,Cristiano Ronaldo’s son was born to an unknown surrogate in America. He ﬂew out to meet his new baby as soon as Portugal was kicked out of the tournament by Spain. It was alleged that the striker paid as much as $10 million to ensure that the biological mother’s identity remained a secret. He now has sole custody of the boy, who he named after himself.

Michael jacksOn Michael Jackson’s youngest son Blanket – real name Prince Michael Jackson II – was born via a secret surrogate in 2002. After his death, it was rumoured that the surrogate mother was a Mexican nurse called Helena. Apparently, the late King of Pop paid her a $20,000 surrogacy fee and lavished her with gifts, as well as paying generous expenses to staﬀ to meet all her needs.

Celebrities And

SURROGATeS

geORge lucas Star Wars creator George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson welcomed a surrogate daughter in August 2013. everest Hobson Lucas is the ﬁrst biological child for the ﬁlmmaker and his 44-year-old wife. George already has three adopted children: Amanda, 32; Katie, 25; and Jett, 20.

angela basseTT Actress Angela Bassett endured a gruelling seven-year battle to have children with her husband Courtney B. The pair were overjoyed when they ﬁnally became parents to twins Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah in January 2006 via a surrogate. "I was unable to carry, but there are other ways you can have children," Bassett told reporters.

MEDIAFILES SURROGACY WALK followed by Workshop on 20th APRIL was widely reported by premiere wire agencies of India IANS and PTI and also by prominent news dailies Hindustan Times, Times of India, REDIFF NEWS, THE STATESMAN, The Pioneer. Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar Amar Ujala The HINDU, Navodya Times, Sandhya Mahalakshmi Times, HealthyDunia.com, BUSINESS STANDARD etc. On the internet the event was covered on Daijiworld.com, http://www.mizonews.net/ http://www.ianslive.in, http://www.allvoices.com/, http://article.wn.com/, http://news.chennaionline.com/, http://PressDisplay.com.

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FUTURE PERFECT The First INSTAR Annual Conference: MUMBAI

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Theme : Third Party Assisted Reproduction: How to Practice Ethically and within the Legal Framework

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insTaR cOnFeRence PROgRaM 9:00 - 9:30am 9:30 - 9:50am 9:50 - 10:50am

Registration President’s message How can we set up a Good Third Party Program – Let us ask the experts - Panel Discussion 10:50 - 11:00am Tea Break 11:00 - 11:20am Insight into the activities of INSTAR 11:20 - 12:00 Panel Discussion - Sperm Donation & ART Banks - Do’s and Don’ts in everyday practice 12:00 - 1:00pm ethical, Social, and Psychological Issues related to Surrogacy - Panel Discussion involving NGOs 1:00 - 1:30pm Lunch 1:30 - 2:30pm Panel Discussion on egg Donation: What do we master this practice as Clinicians 2:45 - 3:45pm Keynote Lecture by Dr. R. S. Sharma ‘Infertility Practice and ICMR Guidelines’ 4:00 - 5:00pm Legal Issues Surrounding Surrogacy & Third Party Reproduction 5:00 - 6:00pm Surrogacy to cater to Foreign Nationals How do we deal with embassies & FRRO 6:00 – 6:30pm Vote of Thanks VENUE: J. W. Marriott Hotel, Juhu, Mumbai DATES & TIMINGS: 2nd November 2014, 9am - 6pm REGISTRATION FEE: Rs 2500, for early bird registration till 10th October. For INSTAR members Rs 1500 only. After 10th October or Spot Registration: Rs 3000

Third Party Reproduction has gained a lot of importance in the last two decades. The practice has given the joy of parenthood to many. However, it has also managed to gain a lot of controversies surrounding the same with respect to ethical, social and legal issues. The need was therefore there to have a strong organisation that can have as its members all people related to this field and who want this entire industry to be looked upon as its run - ethically and with a moral responsibility. INSTAR is the organization that will send the message to the world that Third Party Assisted Reproduction is a Boon to the Society when it is practiced within legal framework, keeping ethics in mind and ensuring the benefits of all parties involved. With this, I would like to invite one and all to INSTAR’s first Annual Conference on “Third Party Assisted Reproduction – How can we practice ethically and within the legal framework’ in Mumbai. Being a one day conference, we have tried to incorporate maximum issues faced by clinicians these days when practising Third Party Reproduction. Special importance is given to tackling the ethical and legal issues and guidelines for practice from stalwarts in this field. I assure all that it will be an enriching experience for those wanting to start the practice and those looking forward to improve the same. Welcome all to Mumbai!

DR. MRs. kaushal kaDaM Organising Chairperson , INSTAR Mumbai 2014

CONTACT PERSON: Ms. Priyanka Shetty 91 8692949000, 8692966000 CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT: Corion Fertility Clinic 2nd Floor, Trans Avenue, Near Versova Telephone Exchange, Lokhandwala Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai 400 053. Tel: 91 22 2639 5588/2639 5599

CONTACT RegisTeReD OFFice: INSTAR House, Number 252, Ground Floor, Sant Nagar, New Delhi - 110065 Ph: 011-41034631 / 45792531 email: instarorg@gmail.com website: www.instar.co.in; www.instarorg.blogspot.in www.facebook.com/groups/instarsci/ Membership link: http://instar.co.in/images/registration.jp