Gay couple turns to Mexico for surrogacy after UK challenges
12 reported
A gay couple, Jules Von Hep and Mark Beverlo, have turned to Mexico for surrogacy after facing high costs and long waiting lists in the UK. The couple started trying to become parents in 2020, signing up with an IVF clinic and buying donor eggs, but encountered rapidly mounting charges. After failed embryo transfers and home insemination attempts, they gave up on UK surrogacy and looked abroad. They chose Mexico, where surrogacy was legalised for same-sex parents in 2021, at a cost of around £60,000 to £90,000. The couple has shipped their sperm to Mexico, selected a new egg donor, and had embryos fertilised, waiting for the transfer to begin. Von Hep described the UK system as feeling like "the wild west" and praised the professionalism of Mexican clinics. He said he wants to talk about his surrogacy journey to challenge the taboo and make it easier for future generations of gay men.
What’s reported
Jules Von Hep has wanted a baby since he can remember and, as a gay man, knew surrogacy was his only option for a biological child.
Von Hep and his partner Mark Beverlo started trying to become parents in 2020.
UK costs included £1,000 for single advisory meetings, £13,000 for a round of embryo creation, and £5,000 per embryo transfer.
The waiting list for UK-based surrogates was two to three years.
The couple gave up on UK surrogacy after failed attempts and turned to Mexico, where surrogacy was legalised for same-sex parents in 2021.
Mexico surrogacy costs around £60,000 to £90,000, including medical bills, expenses, and a fee to carry the pregnancy.
The agency My Surrogacy Journey Mexico City (MSJMX) said the fee to carry the pregnancy is usually around MXN$388,000 (£16,914).
The surrogate has been a surrogate before and is trying to build a business, according to Von Hep.
Two Mexican states have banned surrogacy, while three have laws governing the practice.
MSJMX said it only operates in "surrogacy-friendly states" like Mexico City and works with human rights specialists and surrogacy lawyers.
If the baby is born, the couple will move to Mexico for three to six months to arrange the baby's passport, then apply for a parental order in the UK.
This will be the couple's last attempt to become biological parents.
Key figures
Jules Von Hep, intended parent
Mark Beverlo, intended parent
My Surrogacy Journey Mexico City (MSJMX), surrogacy agency
Sources: The Guardian
