Nadomestno materinstvo je institut, s katerim se ženska s pogodbo zaveže, da bo za plačilo ali neodplačno zanosila, donosila in rodila otroka ter ga po rojstvu za vedno izročila nameravanim staršem oz. sopogodbenikoma. Naročnika oz. sopogodbenika sta običajno zakonca ali osebi, ki živita v zunajzakonski skupnosti, predmet pogodbenega razmerja je otrok. Če ženska donosi in rodi otroka, ki ni nastal iz njene jajčne celice, gre za gestacijsko nadomestno materinstvo, če pa ženska donosi in rodi otroka, ki je nastal iz njene jajčne celice, govorimo o tradicionalnem nadomestnem materinstvu. Glede nadomestnega materinstva nimajo vse države enakih pravnih ureditev. Urejajo ga na tri različne načine, in sicer ga dovoljujejo, prepovedujejo ali pa ga sploh ne urejajo. V večini držav ni dovoljeno, poznamo pa kar nekaj držav, ki to dovoljujejo (npr. Rusija, Ukrajina, Indija ...). Zaradi nadomestnega materinstva so se začeli pojavljati mednarodni dogovori, veliko vlogo na mednarodni ravni pa imata Evropsko sodišče za človekove pravice in njegova sodna praksa. Nadomestno materinstvo še zdaleč nima samo pozitivnih plati. Ob tem, da je alternativna rešitev za posamezne interesne skupine, katerih skupna želja je starševstvo, institut odpira vrsto drugih problemov. Na eni strani pride do zadovoljitve potrebe po otroku, na drugi pa lahko pride do izkoriščanja žensk, predvsem v revnejših državah, pojavlja se tudi problematika 'plodnostnega turizma'. Nadomestno materinstvo postavlja vrsto etičnih, verskih in psiholoških vprašanj

Surrogate motherhood is an institute, where a woman agreed with a contract, that she will give birth to a child and hand him over to his new parents. She can do it for a payment or for free. The contract subject is a baby. If a woman delivers and gives birth to a child that did not arise from her egg, it is called gestational surrogate motherhood. If a woman delivers and gives birth to a child, born from her egg, we are talking about traditional surrogate motherhood. Not all countries have the same legal arrangements. This legal case is governed in three different ways, by allowing, prohibiting, or not regulating it at all. Most countries forbid it, but we still know quite a few countries where it is allowed (for example Russia, Ukraine, India ...). As a result of surrogate motherhood, international agreements have begun to emerge and the European Court of Human Rights and its jurisprudence play an important international role. Surrogate motherhood does not only have positive side. It is an alternative solution for individual interest groups whose common wish is parenting, but it also raises numerous other problems. On the one hand the need for a baby is satisfied, on the other hand women can be exploited, especially in poorer countries. %Fertility tourism% is becoming more and more popular. Surrogate motherhood raises a series of ethical, religious and psychological questions