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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82276</law_id><section_number>20-156</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>18.2-356.1</reference><reference>20-159</reference><reference>20-162</reference><reference>32.1-257</reference><reference>64.2-102</reference><reference>64.2-2013</reference><reference>64.2-204</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="20">Domestic Relations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="9">Status of Children of Assisted Conception</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Assisted conception</span>&#x201D; means a pregnancy resulting from any intervening medical technology, whether <span class="dictionary">in vivo</span> or in vitro, which completely or partially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception. Such intervening medical technology includes, but is not limited to, conventional medical and surgical treatment as well as noncoital reproductive technology such as artificial insemination by <span class="dictionary">donor</span>, <span class="dictionary">cryopreservation</span> of <span class="dictionary">gametes</span> and <span class="dictionary">embryos</span>, <span class="dictionary">in vitro fertilization</span>, uterine embryo lavage, <span class="dictionary">embryo transfer</span>, <span class="dictionary">gamete</span> intrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal <span class="dictionary">ovum</span> transfer.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Compensation</span>&#x201D; means payment of any valuable consideration for services in excess of <span class="dictionary">reasonable medical and ancillary costs</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Cryopreservation</span>&#x201D; means freezing and storing of <span class="dictionary">gametes</span> and <span class="dictionary">embryos</span> for possible future use in <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Donor</span>&#x201D; means an individual, other than a <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span>, who contributes the <span class="dictionary">sperm</span> or egg used in <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Gamete</span>&#x201D; means either a <span class="dictionary">sperm</span> or an <span class="dictionary">ovum</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Genetic parent</span>&#x201D; means an individual who contributes a <span class="dictionary">gamete</span> resulting in a conception.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Gestational mother</span>&#x201D; means the woman who gives birth to a child, regardless of her genetic relationship to the child.
		&#x201C;Embryo&#x201D; means the organism resulting from the union of a <span class="dictionary">sperm</span> and an <span class="dictionary">ovum</span> from first cell division until approximately the end of the second month of gestation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Embryo transfer</span>&#x201D; means the placing of a viable embryo into the uterus of a <span class="dictionary">gestational mother</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Infertile</span>&#x201D; means the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Intended parent</span>&#x201D; means a married couple or unmarried individual who enters into an agreement with a <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> under the terms of which such parent will be the parent of any child born to the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> through <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span> regardless of the genetic relationships between the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span>, the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span>, and the child.
		&#x201C;In vitro&#x201D; means any process that can be observed in an artificial environment such as a test tube or tissue culture plate.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">In vitro fertilization</span>&#x201D; means the fertilization of ova by <span class="dictionary">sperm</span> in an artificial environment.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">In vivo</span>&#x201D; means any process occurring within the living body.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Legal or contractual custody</span>&#x201D; means having authority granted by <span class="dictionary">law</span>, contract, or <span class="dictionary">court order</span> to make decisions concerning the use of an embryo.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Ovum</span>&#x201D; means the female <span class="dictionary">gamete</span> or reproductive cell prior to fertilization.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Reasonable medical and ancillary costs</span>&#x201D; means the costs of the performance of <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span>, the costs of prenatal maternal health care, the costs of maternal and child health care for a reasonable postpartum period, the reasonable costs for medications and maternity clothes, and any additional and reasonable costs for housing and other living expenses attributable to the pregnancy.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Sperm</span>&#x201D; means the male <span class="dictionary">gametes</span> or reproductive cells which impregnate the ova.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Surrogacy contract</span>&#x201D; means an agreement between the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span>, a <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span>, and her spouse, if any, in which the <span class="dictionary">surrogate</span> agrees to be impregnated through the use of <span class="dictionary">assisted conception</span>, to carry any resulting fetus, and to relinquish to the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span> the custody of and parental rights to any resulting child.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Surrogate</span>&#x201D; means any adult woman who agrees to bear a child carried for the <span class="dictionary">intended parent</span>.</p></section></text><history>1991, c. 600; 1997, c. 81; 2019, c. 375.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
