According to new research, a growing number of LGBTQ people are interested in building their families, and many of those that do will turn to assisted reproduction to help them.
At Reproductive Medicine Associates of Southern California, a leading fertility clinic located in Los Angeles, we help members of the LGBTQ community take control of their fertility with preservation or family building services.
RMA of Southern California’s Dr. Tom Kim discusses all the ways how:
Egg Donation with a Gestational Surrogate for Gay Men
Gay men can have biological children through the use of a donor egg and gestational surrogate. The intended parents will either choose an egg donor they know personally (like a relative or friend) or can work with an egg bank to select frozen eggs based on a donor profile.
In either scenario, the team at RMA of Southern California in Los Angeles will work with the intended parents to facilitate the entire process and make it as smooth and simple as possible.
Once the couple has chosen their egg donor, the next step is to choose a gestational surrogate who will carry the pregnancy. At RMA of Southern California, we’ll help connect the intended parents with a gestational surrogate through a third party agency. In this case, pregnancy may be pursued through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Sperm Donation for Lesbian Couples
Lesbian couples can have biological children through the use of donor sperm. In this case, the intended parents can select a known sperm donor or may opt to work with a sperm bank to choose a donor based on his profile.
Once the sperm donor is selected, there are several routes a lesbian couple can take:
- One or both women can get pregnant using the donor sperm through IUI or IVF.
- One or both women may carry the pregnancy using her partner’s egg and donor sperm. This scenario requires IVF to retrieve one partner’s egg, create an embryo with the donor sperm, and transfer the embryo into the other partner’s uterus.
Fertility Preservation for Trans Individuals
Transgender individuals may preserve their fertility prior to their medical transition in order to have biological children in the future through IVF. Trans men can have their eggs removed and frozen for later use.
If you decide you’d like to have a biological child in the future, you can come back to thaw those eggs and fertilize them with either partner or donor sperm. Some trans men can even carry a baby if that is something they are comfortable with.
Trans women can have their sperm frozen for later use – in the future, that sperm can be thawed and paired with partner or donor eggs.
Building a family is no small feat, but at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Southern California, we aim to make the process as simple as possible. During a private, one-on-one consultation with one of our physicians, patients can feel comfortable asking any questions they have in order to better understand their options.
To learn more about LGBTQ family-building options or to schedule an appointment in our Los Angeles, California fertility clinic, please call 424-293-8841.
