Updated/Revised Date: 18th Sep 2022
Author: Sexual Diversity | Contact: SexualDiversity.org
Additional References: IVF, Adoption, Fertility Publications
Synopsis: Information and options for same-sex couples regarding fertility, In vitro fertilization (IVF), childbearing, and adoption.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process of fertilization where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from her ovaries, and letting sperm fertilize them in a culture medium in a laboratory. After the fertilized egg (zygote) undergoes embryo culture for 2-6 days, it is transferred by catheter into the uterus to establish a successful pregnancy. IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The procedure can be done using a couple's eggs and sperm. Or IVF may involve eggs, sperm, or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some cases, a gestational carrier - someone with an embryo implanted in the uterus - might be used.
Same-sex couples face different fertility options and issues from heterosexual couples who can attempt conception without any medical help. Lesbian couples require an outside source of sperm, while gay men require eggs and a uterus.
Singles, gays, and lesbians are sometimes called "dysfertile" as opposed to "infertile" to emphasize their social (rather than just biological) obstacles to reproduction. The U.S. should expand IVF coverage for the infertile and include the dysfertile. Currently, the U.S. has among the lowest rates of IVF usage of any developed country in the world, owing in part to boasting the highest cost for the procedure, on average $100,000 per successful pregnancy.
Several same-sex couples choose to egg-share. This is where the eggs of one partner are used in an IVF cycle to create embryos that are then transferred to the other partner, with the effect that one partner is the birth mother and the other partner is the genetic mother.
A treatment where fertility medications prompt more eggs to grow (usually 5-10). These eggs are removed from the ovaries and combined with the donated sperm in the laboratory via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where an individual sperm is injected directly into the egg. The embryo develops in the laboratory for 2-5 days before being transferred back to the woman.
The timing of inseminating a woman with donated sperm during her fertile window is the simplest method. An IUI procedure is straightforward, and following the monitoring of your cycle, the sperm is placed in the uterus via a small tube just before ovulation.
Where another woman has a baby for a couple who can't have a child. It's an option if you're a gay man, where the surrogate mother's egg can be fertilized by either your or your partner's sperm.
They Can build their families with the combination of donor eggs, sperm, and a surrogate. With the use of in vitro fertilization, donor eggs can be fertilized with the sperm of the intended parent(s). The resultant embryos can be transferred to a gestational surrogate to carry the pregnancy.
Typically, the couple will decide which partner will carry the pregnancy. This partner will proceed with day three blood work to test hormone levels and an HSG to determine the health of the uterus and fallopian tubes. The couple will select a sperm donor to achieve the pregnancy if she has a good prognosis. Donor sperm will be used in intrauterine insemination (IUI), a simple procedure where the sperm is placed directly into the woman's uterus.
This is typically when a lesbian and a gay man team up to have children together, although one may also be straight or bisexual. The man donates the sperm, and both parties share responsibility for and custody of their child.
It's now possible for same-sex couples in some areas of the world to adopt a child together. Couples can apply for adoption through a local authority or an adoption agency.
In Skinner v. Oklahoma, a 1942 Supreme Court case, Justice Douglas proclaimed marriage and procreation "the basic civil rights of man," calling them together "fundamental to the very existence and survival of the race." As the Court considers whether gays and lesbians should be permitted to marry who they love, this is the moment to consider reasonable measures to combat reproductive inequalities, too.
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The above information is from our reference library of material relating to IVF, Adoption, Fertility that includes: | |
 | Do Heterosexual Parents Want More Children Than Same-Sex Parents? Study explores predictors of parents desire for more children, whether heterosexual parents want more children than same-sex parents, and if there is a difference between homosexual fathers and lesbian mothers when it comes to the desire for more children. Publish Date: 26th Oct 2022 - Updated: 5th Jan 2023 |
 | Transgender Men Need Fertility Preservation Counseling Researchers provide guidelines for fertility preservation counseling before gender-affirming medical procedures for transgender men. Publish Date: 6th Sep 2022 - Updated: 5th Jan 2023 |
| Sex Survey Results for Should Same-Sex Couples be Allowed to Adopt? Results from annual sex survey, where over 1,000 adults were asked how they felt about gay and lesbian couples adopting a child. Publish Date: 15th Feb 2018 |
| Success rates in Same Sex Female Couples Undergoing Intrauterine Insemination with Donor Sperm RMA of NY presents findings from research study exploring fertility treatments outcomes of same-sex female couples, single women, and infertile heterosexual couples. Publish Date: 11th Nov 2017 |
| Lifestyle, Stress, and Optimizing the Preconception Health Needs of Infertile Patients Reproductive Medicine Associates of NY revealed modifiable lifestyle factors to be discussed prior to and after an infertile patients initial reproductive care consultation. Publish Date: 11th Nov 2017 |
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• (APA): SexualDiversity.org. (2022, September 18). Same Sex Couples: Adoption, IVF and Fertility Options. SexualDiversity.org. Retrieved March 22, 2025 from www.sexualdiversity.org/news/same/ivf/
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