LGBTQ+ Family Planning

At CU Medicine, our team helps men and women of any sexual orientation who dream of having a family. Gay, lesbian and transgender couples and individuals often need proven fertility treatments to become parents. We know the journey may include medical, legal and emotional considerations. We're here to guide you.

Family Planning for LGBTQ+ Patients

We offer our LGBTQ+ patients the same fertility options we offer all our patients, plus specialized support:

• Sperm donation or sperm freezing
• Egg donation or egg freezing
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
• In vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Surrogacy and gestational carrier services
• In-house counseling for emotional and psychological support.

Family Building for Lesbian Couples

Female couples have numerous options to conceive and build a family. If you are a female couple:

Preparing for pregnancy

• Start with a health check-up that includes a physical exam and blood tests that measure hormone levels.
• Other common fertility tests and procedures for lesbian couples include:
  • Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) – an x-ray procedure to check fallopian tubes and uterus.
  • Transvaginal ultrasound to assess the uterus and ovary functions required for conception.
  • Blood work for hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, and Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) to measure the number and quality of eggs.

Conception methods

Once the fertility health of the couple is established, there are three primary methods for lesbian couples hoping to conceive. The method selected depends on a variety of factors and questions, such as:

• Which partner will be genetically related to the baby?
• Who will physically carry the baby to term?
• Where will the sperm come from; will the couple use anonymous sperm from a sperm bank or known sperm from a relative or friend?

Once a couple addresses the above considerations, they may choose the following methods for conception:

• Artificial insemination - A procedure that inserts sperm into the cervix or uterus. A woman must experience regular menstrual cycles to succeed with artificial insemination. The procedure is performed while a woman is ovulating to provide the best chance of conception.

• In-vitro fertilization (IVF) with one partner’s egg and uterus - During IVF, a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) stimulates the ovaries with injectable medications and hormones to release multiple eggs. The REI removes eggs from the designated partner during a surgical procedure. Sperm is then inseminated into the eggs in a laboratory in the hope that fertilization occurs. The resulting embryo(s) will be transferred into the uterus of the woman who supplied the eggs and will carry the child.

• Reciprocal IVF - This procedures allows both partners to participate in the pregnancy. One partner donates her genes by supplying her eggs for IVF, while the other carries the resulting embryo in her womb. The procedure follows the same steps of in vitro fertilization with one partner’s egg and uterus, as described above.

Family Building for Gay Male Couples

For male couples, there are two primary ways to have a child: traditional surrogacy with artificial insemination or using a gestational carrier.

Traditional surrogacy and artificial insemination

In a traditional surrogacy, sperm from one partner is implanted into a surrogate’s uterus with artificial insemination. The surrogate may be a relative of one of the partner’s or an unknown surrogate.

Once a surrogate is identified, the male’s sperm will be evaluated for any possible fertility issues. If the partner has a low sperm count or motility issue, the artificial insemination procedure may include intrauterine insemination (IUI). IUI places the sperm into the woman’s cervix or uterus during ovulation. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) includes injecting the sperm directly into an egg. ICSI requires egg retrieval and implantation in the uterus (womb) at an IVF lab.

Traditional surrogacy is less medically complex than other in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures and this generally means lower associated costs for couples.

Gestational carrier

A gestational carrier is a woman who carries the pregnancy but is not biologically related to the child. If a couple uses a gestational carrier, they may select a non-related egg donor, introduce one of the male’s sperm and use IVF to implant an embryo into the gestational carrier. If the couple uses a related egg donor (for example, a sister of one male partner who will have his genes), then artificial insemination will be performed using sperm from the other male. In this situation, genes from both partners will be represented in the child.

Family Building for Transgender Individuals & Couples

Transgender individuals and couples face the same medical, emotional and financial challenges as all other fertility patients. The type of fertility treatments depend on the reproductive capabilities of the people involved, as well as on the makeup of the transgender couple. For example, a transgender female with reproductive capability may not need a sperm donor, and a transgender male may be able to carry his own child.

Transgender people and couples should also consider:

• Fertility preservation, such as sperm freezing or egg freezing before hormone or surgical treatments such as gender confirmation surgery
• Who contributes the sperm and eggs, and who carries the baby
• Legal and emotional counseling specific to transgender parenting

Legal and Emotional Considerations

Building a family involves more than biology. We help you:

• Navigate emotional aspects around parenting roles, guiding the child as he or she develops an identity, and helping children understand how they were conceived.
• Understand how to obtain legal counsel to discuss issues such as state laws for parenthood, surrogacy rights, and donor disclosure.
• Access counseling for all parties involved; intended parents, donors and carriers.

Why Choose CU Medicine for LGBTQ+ Family Planning?

• We are experienced in providing inclusive, respectful care for all sexual orientations and identities.
• We understand and support you with the medical, legal and emotional layers of fertility support.
• We aim to make the journey as clear and supportive as possible.