Fertility Treatments For Same Sex Couples

Same Sex Female Couples

Same sex female couples have a few different options to build their family. The decision for treatment should incorporate patient preference and values and age. One option that many patients start with is intrauterine insemination of donor sperm (also known as therapeutic donor insemination or TDI). Typically, if this is done, we often will start by timing the IUI with the ovulation in a natural cycle unless a patient is not ovulating regularly. Donor sperm is thawed and inseminated into the uterus on the day of ovulation.

Sometimes medications are added to assist with ovulation or ovulating more than one egg. In vitro fertilization can be done as well. The IVF process involves stimulating the ovaries with medications, then retrieving the eggs surgically through a procedure called a transvaginal oocyte retrieval. The eggs are then inseminated with donor sperm and embryos are cultured in the incubator.

An embryo or embryo(s) can be transferred to the uterus or frozen. One partner can choose to do IVF using her egg with donor sperm, then implant the embryo back into her uterus. Alternatively, the embryo can be implanted into her partner’s uterus – this is called reciprocal IVF. Reproductive partners has extensive experience with same sex family building and are happy to help guide patients through this process.

Same Sex Male Couples

Same sex male couples can create embryos through the in vitro fertilization process using both partners’ sperm and donor eggs. One option patients may choose is to work with an egg donor to do a fresh IVF cycle. This process involves matching with an egg donor. After she is medically cleared, the donor undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval.

On the day of the egg retrieval, the donor eggs are fertilized with sperm (often the eggs are split in half to inseminate with each partner’s sperm). Frozen donor eggs may be used as well to create embryos using the couple’s sperm. Once embryos are created, the couple will find a gestational carrier to work with for embryo implantation.

For both a “fresh” egg donor and gestational carrier there are often other steps involved with the process, including medical clearance, legal contracts, and a psychological clearance. Reproductive partners has extensive experience in third party reproduction and a separate team dedicated to helping patients through this process.