Surrogate screening is one of the most important parts of your surrogacy journey. It protects your emotional well-being and financial investment by making sure your surrogate is fully prepared for the responsibilities ahead. With strong screening in place, you’re more likely to experience a healthy pregnancy, a supportive relationship with your surrogate, and the joy of growing your family with confidence.
When you work with a trusted surrogacy agency, you can rest assured that your surrogate has completed a thorough evaluation. This process includes careful medical checks, emotional assessments, and legal screenings to confirm that she’s ready and capable to carry your child.
By relying on professionals, you avoid surprises and reduce stress. Every step is handled with care so you can focus on what truly matters: building your family.
How Your Surrogacy Agency Screens Potential Surrogates
Your agency will use a multi-step screening process to evaluate each potential surrogate. From the first conversation to the final medical tests, they check every detail to protect your journey. This system reduces risks, prevents delays, and helps build a safe, strong foundation for your match.
What Your Surrogate Must Meet: Basic Requirements
Most agencies use medical and ethical guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) to select potential surrogates. These standards help ensure your surrogate is physically and emotionally capable of safely carrying a pregnancy. Your surrogate typically must:
- Be between 21 and 45 years old
- Have had at least one healthy pregnancy
- Have no major complications from previous births
- Live in a stable, supportive home
- Be a non-smoker and drug-free
- Maintain a healthy body weight (measured by BMI)
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Only a small percentage of applicants meet all of these requirements. Your agency screens them so you don’t have to.
What Your Surrogate Shares: Documents and Records
Once your surrogate meets the basic qualifications, your agency will request records that reveal her medical history, personal background, and lifestyle. These insights help determine whether she’s the right fit for your surrogacy journey.
Your surrogate begins by completing a social questionnaire, which gives the agency insight into her lifestyle, motivations, and support system—helping match you with someone who shares your values. The agency then reviews her medical records to confirm past healthy pregnancies and check for any issues that might affect her ability to carry a baby.
They also assess her insurance to ensure it covers maternity care or identify if additional coverage is needed. A criminal background check is conducted as the final step, confirming there are no legal concerns that could impact your experience. Together, these steps provide the information needed to protect your journey from the start.
Together, these steps give you peace of mind, lower your risk, and help create a strong foundation for a safe and successful match.
What Your Surrogate Talks About: Psychological Evaluation
Your surrogate also meets with a licensed counselor or psychologist. They’ll explore her emotional readiness and ability to manage the unique experience of carrying a baby for someone else. This step ensures she understands what’s ahead and is emotionally supported throughout the journey—giving you more confidence in your match.
What Your Surrogate Undergoes: Fertility Clinic Testing
As the final step in the screening process, your surrogate will go to a fertility clinic for a complete set of medical tests. These exams are crucial for confirming that her body is ready and able to support a healthy pregnancy on your behalf. They also help your fertility specialists tailor the medical plan to her specific health profile.
During this appointment, your surrogate will be tested for infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis to ensure there are no underlying risks. She’ll also undergo a detailed uterine evaluation, which may include an ultrasound or a hysteroscopy, to confirm that her uterus is capable of supporting a pregnancy. Finally, bloodwork will be performed to check her hormone levels and ensure her body is hormonally balanced and ready for the fertility process.
These results give your fertility team the information they need to confirm your surrogate can safely carry your child.
Why Choosing an Agency Protects You
Trying to match with a surrogate on your own can expose you to unnecessary risks.
Without the guidance of a professional agency, you could face complicated legal problems, emotional stress, and time-consuming setbacks that delay your journey. You might also miss important red flags that a trained team would catch, putting your hopes and investment at greater risk.
Without agency support, you could face:
- Scams, in which someone deliberately poses as a surrogate without genuine intent to follow through, can lead to financial loss, wasted time, and significant emotional distress.
- Legal or emotional problems, which can arise if your surrogate is not fully prepared for the emotional complexities and legal responsibilities involved in the journey.
- Delays, especially if your initial match doesn’t work out and you have to begin the screening and matching process again from scratch. This can add months to your timeline.
- Unexpected costs, such as medical expenses not covered by insurance or legal fees from avoidable complications, can arise when a surrogate hasn’t been properly screened.
Your agency prevents these situations by taking charge of every step in the screening process long before you’re matched with a surrogate. They thoroughly check each candidate’s background, emotional readiness, and medical history so that you don’t have to worry about missing something critical.
Why You Should Trust an Agency With Surrogate Screening
Selecting the right surrogacy agency is one of the most crucial steps in your journey to parenthood. Surrogacy involves complex medical, emotional, and legal factors, and a trusted agency brings structure, clarity, and protection to every part of the process. With professional guidance, you can stay focused, informed, and confident from start to finish.
You’re Protected by Proven Systems
Your agency uses time-tested, expert-designed protocols to oversee every detail of your experience—from in-depth medical record reviews to accurate legal documentation. These systems are built with your safety in mind, minimizing risk and ensuring nothing important is overlooked along the way.
You Get Better Matches With Less Risk
Agencies maintain strict standards and accept only a small percentage of surrogate applicants. This means your match is carefully vetted for physical health, emotional readiness, and reliability. With fewer risks and more certainty, you’re set up for a more stable and positive outcome.
You’re Matched With Someone Who Truly Fits
Beyond the basics, your agency considers your surrogate’s values, communication style, and overall personality to ensure long-term compatibility. These deeper factors create a strong, respectful connection that supports your journey and builds trust throughout the process.
Let Your Agency Handle Screening So You Can Focus on Family
Surrogate screening isn’t just paperwork and tests. It’s a thoughtful, detailed process that makes your journey safer, easier, and more rewarding. Let your agency take care of the logistics so you can focus on preparing for the moment you meet your child.
Whenever you’re ready to take the next step, your agency is here for you.