The LGBTQ community can pride themselves since they can now become parents irrespective of their identity or sexual orientation. It has been made possible by the specialist at Santa Monica LGBTQ fertility options, where they offer various plans for fertility treatment options within a fully versatile and all-inclusive center. They offer personalized and comprehensive care in the private and sensitive medical environment. These fertility options are often different from traditional families; therefore, they use impartial innovation to help these non-traditional families.
Reproductive Options for Gay Couples or Single Men:
- Traditional Surrogacy
In this method, the surrogate will serve as the egg donor as well. The pregnancy is achieved by artificial insemination of one partner’s sperm or by the combination of both their sperm. This method is cheap and uncomplicated in that it requires relative and straightforward coordination and essential fertility treatments. The specialist may use ovulation induction to treat the surrogate when intrauterine induction fails and involves oral or injectable medications. Then, it is combined with intrauterine insemination or assisted reproductive technology (ART).
- Gestational Surrogacy in Combination With Egg Donation
Involves a different donor and surrogate. They stimulate the egg donor’s ovaries to produce many eggs, which are harvested, fertilized with the sperm, and then the embryo is transferred into the surrogate’s uterus. The sperm may be from one of the couple or both of them. The surrogate may either be anonymous or non-anonymous. If she is non-anonymous and related to either gay couple, the other partner’s sperm fertilizes the egg to create a genetic link in the offspring to both intended fathers.
The success rates are high in gestational surrogacy and combined egg donation; however, it is more expensive than traditional surrogacy.
Reproductive Options for a Lesbian Couple or Single Women
- Artificial Insemination With Donor Sperm (AID)
Is the most commonly used method. Here, the reproductive function of one of the women in the relationship or the single woman is evaluated, followed by the treatment course, which involves artificial insemination using the donor’s sperm. The frozen sperm is purchased from a licensed sperm bank, the sperm donor’s information includes ethnic background, eye color, skin tone, hair color, hobbies, and education. The insemination process will be done during natural ovulation or induced ovulation.
- Directed Donor Insemination (DDI)
It involves the lesbian couple or the single woman choosing a known sperm donor. The donor will undergo screening for infectious diseases, and once the state has been determined, they are then inseminated. This method is cheaper compared to AID.
- Combining Sperm Donation With Assisted Reproductive Technology
It applies where the women are older or infertile, and thus in vitro fertilization (IVF) is performed. IVF is done by stimulating a woman’s ovary to induce multiple egg growth at once and is then harvested and fertilized using donor sperm to create an embryo. The embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus.
- Egg Freezing
It is done to preserve the egg when either the single woman or the lesbian couple is not ready for a child. The eggs are, however, stored without fertilization. In the future, the eggs will be thawed and fertilized.
In a nutshell, the process of family expansion for LGBTQ involves multiple parties such as egg donor agencies, sperm banks, surrogacy agencies, and reproductive attorneys. If you need these services, contact California Center for Reproductive Health, or book an appointment with them online.
