Fertility Options for Every Person

Navigating your way through the wide range of fertility options can be a difficult process for anyone. And if you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the road to parenthood often has unique considerations. Understanding the choices available to you helps you make informed decisions to meet your personal, medical and family goals.

That’s where we come in. We're ready to talk with you about your fertility goals. More importantly, we'll listen.

We offer same-sex couples options for family building. These include donor sperm insemination, reciprocal IVF for female couples and donor egg IVF with gestational carriers for male couples.

Our fertility experts also understand that gender-affirming treatments, like hormone therapy or surgery to remove your reproductive organs, can affect your ability to have your own biological child in the future. That’s why we recommend exploring fertility preservation options first.

Even if you’ve already started hormone therapy, we can discuss your options and develop a plan that’s right for you — and that brings the best possible results.

Our fertility-preserving services include:

• Sperm and egg banking to collect and preserve an egg or semen sample.
• Egg cryopreservation to retrieve and freeze eggs.
• Embryo cryopreservation to retrieve fertilized eggs.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Preparing for your visit with our fertility team can go a long way in ensuring you get the information you need to make the best possible decisions for you and your family. Take the time to jot down your questions prior to your appointment, and don’t be shy about taking notes while you’re with us.

You may want to consider asking:

• How does hormone therapy affect my fertility?
• Will this treatment delay my ability to start hormones?
• Will I be able to get pregnant if I stop taking hormones?
• What are my fertility preservation options?
• What are my options if I do not pursue fertility preservation treatment?
• Will hormone treatment have any effect on my future children?
• How long after stopping hormones can I get pregnant?
• Who can I talk to about fertility preservation or infertility treatment?

Thank you for your support on my journey. As I look at where I am now compared to where I was when I first came into your office, all I can think about is how fortunate I was… and how you and your team quite literally helped save my life. Thank you, again, for your support for all of us in the LGBTQ+ community.

— VCU Health patient