Proving the Uterus in Third Party Reproduction

What is "the proven uterus," a concept ubiquitous in US surrogacy? In this article, I interrogate this concept via content analysis of the medical/academic literature and media, and analysis of ethnographic data on US assisted reproduction. I find the seemingly neutral "proving of the uterus" visible in multiple ways in the medical literature has become a marketing term useful for the surrogacy industry, spawning the "proven surrogate." These terms are embraced and strategically employed in the industry and by US surrogates themselves to increase their position in contract negotiations and to linguistically encapsulate their value on the market.