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The Reproductive Medicine Group offers LGBT fertility treatment options for same sex couples who want to become parents.
First Steps for LGBT Families
The first step for LGBT couples who want to become parents is an initial consultation with one of our physicians at one of our four area clinic locations. The doctor, a reproductive endocrinologist/fertility specialist, reviews your medical history, recommends appropriate fertility testing, and discusses possible fertility treatments.
The second step is to complete fertility testing.
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Why fertility testing for LGBT couples?
Some couples wonder why test for fertility? Fertility testing ensures that all patients receive the fertility treatment that is right for them. Once a doctor reviews the results, they work to develop a plan to put each couple on a path to parenthood.
Fertility Treatments for Lesbian Couples
IUI with donor sperm
IUI (also known as artificial insemination) requires the couple to select a sperm donor from an approved sperm donor bank for what is known as TDI (Therapeutic Donor Insemination – or IUI with donor sperm). A highly trained nurse places the donor sperm into the uterus at the time of ovulation.
IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) with donor sperm
IVF involves several steps which may include:
- Ovarian stimulation
- Egg retrieval
- Embryo creation using donor sperm
- Embryo transfer.
IVF has a much higher success rate than IUI, but is more costly.
Shared Maternity or Reciprocal IVF
Shared maternity or reciprocal IVF involves both mothers in the fertility treatment. One mother is the gestational carrier or “birth mother”. The other mother “donates” her egg to be fertilized with donor sperm. Next, a physician transfers the resulting embryo into the birth mom. The mother who carries the pregnancy and delivers the baby is able to breastfeed if she desires to do so.
Fertility Treatments for Male Couples
Advances in LGBT fertility treatment options allow gay men to biologically build their families. At The Reproductive Medicine Group, we help gay men become parents by using egg donation and gestational carriers (surrogates). Sperm from one of the fathers is combined with donated eggs by IVF. The resulting embryo is transferred into the uterus of the gestational surrogate in order to carry the pregnancy to term.
Companies who provide gestational surrogates partner with The Reproductive Medicine Group to make this process work.
Transgender Fertility
Both egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) and sperm freezing (cryopreservation) are available for transgender individuals who plan to transition.
If you are interested in learning more about this process, please contact our office at 813-914-7304 x1270.
