Important: This page explains common screening criteria and professional guidance. Final eligibility is individualized and is determined by the professionals responsible for medical, psychological, and legal screening.
Professional guidance
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends that gestational carriers be of legal age and preferably between ages 21 and 45. ASRM also says a carrier should ideally have had at least one term, uncomplicated pregnancy and should have a stable family environment with adequate support. These are professional recommendations, not a universal agency checklist.
Common areas programs review
Age
Programs set their own age criteria. ASRM recommends legal adulthood and preferably ages 21–45, while individual clinics may use narrower ranges based on medical risk.
Prior pregnancy
A prior successful pregnancy is a core part of professional guidance because it provides information about obstetric history and lived experience with pregnancy and delivery.
Obstetric history
Clinics review prior deliveries, C-sections, pregnancy complications, preterm birth, blood pressure disorders, diabetes, and other factors that may affect future pregnancy risk.
Current health
Medical evaluation can include physical examination, laboratory testing, infectious-disease screening, uterine evaluation, medications, and review of relevant records.
Psychosocial readiness
Psychological evaluation and counseling are standard parts of professional guidance, including discussion of support, expectations, relationships, and informed consent.
Support and stability
Programs generally look for a stable environment and practical support for appointments, pregnancy, delivery, recovery, and childcare responsibilities.
What about BMI?
There is no single ASRM BMI cutoff for gestational carriers. Many clinics and programs use their own BMI thresholds as part of risk assessment. A candidate who falls outside one program's cutoff may be reviewed differently elsewhere. See our BMI requirements guide.
What about citizenship, residency, or public benefits?
Citizenship, immigration status, residency, insurance, and financial-stability requirements vary by program and legal structure. They should not be described as universal medical eligibility rules. Receiving government assistance is not, by itself, a universal medical disqualification, although programs may review financial and benefits implications.
What may trigger individual review?
- Prior C-sections or other uterine surgery
- History of preterm birth
- Hypertensive disorders or gestational diabetes
- Current medications or chronic medical conditions
- Mental-health history
- Nicotine, recreational drug, or other substance use
- BMI outside a particular clinic's preferred range
- Recent delivery or insufficient recovery time
None of these should be interpreted in isolation. The reason, severity, timing, records, and current health all matter.
How final clearance works
Initial applications are only a first screen. A potential surrogate may then undergo records review, medical evaluation, infectious-disease testing, psychosocial evaluation, counseling, and legal review. Passing an agency's preliminary screen does not guarantee fertility-clinic medical clearance.
Related guides
Common reasons a candidate may be declined or deferred · BMI requirements · Medical screening and embryo transfer