LGBTQIA+ -Your Journey to Parenthood
Planning a family? Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start and what route is best for you, your body and your vision of what a family looks like.
Our team of specialists at Life Fertility Sydney have been supporting gender and sexually diverse couples to realise their dreams of becoming parents for over 30 years .
We offer LGBTQIA+ patients informed, secure and expert guidance on various options and approaches to having a child, including:
– Sperm donation
– Egg donation
– Surrogacy
– Fertility preservation
Throughout this journey we offer support through counselling services, legal advice where necessary and guidance on how to access medical rebates or financial support where possible.
Sperm Donation
For same-sex female couples and those requiring a donor to conceive
For same sex female couples or couples who both have a uterus, donor sperm will be needed to conceive. Our team of specialists at Life Fertility Clinic Sydney can guide you on the process of finding a sperm donor, whether that be from a known or anonymous donor.
We work with highly regarded local and international sperm banks which run rigorous testing and vetting of their donors and sperm. Women using a sperm bank will be able to make choices from the donor sperm currently available.
Once a sperm donor has been identified, we will guide same sex female couples in taking the next steps through IUI.IVF or ICSI. This can be undertaken using the baby-carrying partner’s eggs or through a process called embryo sharing—when one partner’s eggs are fertilised with the donor sperm to create an embryo and then this embryo is transferred into the uterus of the other member of the couple who will carry the baby.
Egg Donation
For same-sex male couples and those requiring a donor to conceive
For same sex male couples, it will be necessary to find both an egg donor and a separate surrogate to carry the baby through to birth.
We support couples in finding an egg donor, who can be known (e.g. a friend) or an anonymous donor. For the latter option, we work with highly regarded embryo banks that undertake rigorous testing and vetting. Couples can make decisions about different donor options to suit their individual needs and visions of their family.
We help male couples to choose whose sperm to use with the egg which may be determined by a couple’s preferences or by sperm quality which we test at our clinic.
Surrogacy
For same sex male couples
At Life Fertility Clinic Sydney we work with an established and reputable network of local and international surrogacy specialists and provide guidance on how to find a surrogate.
In Australia, it can be difficult to find a surrogate because, while surrogacy is legal, the surrogate must enter the agreement altruistically—i.e. someone cannot be paid (beyond medical, travel and necessary accommodation expenses) to carry a child on behalf of a person or couple.
Once a surrogate has been found, we offer the latest techniques, including IUI and IVF (with or without ICSI) to ensure the highest chances of pregnancy, as well as full care and advice for the duration of the pregnancy. With consent of the donor, the embryos can be transported to a country where surrogates are more accessible.
Fertility Preservation
Preserving eggs and sperm through freezing or medication is a choice that people make for a number of reasons.
For people who have started or are thinking about affirming medical or surgical therapy and who May want to have children in the future, fertility preservation in important to think about. Sometimes, the hormones, surgery or other medicines associated with gender affirming procedures can limit future fertility.
We offer transgender, transsexual and people of all genders advice on and care through the latest techniques for having the best chance at future pregnancies including:
– Sperm Freezing – this can be done with a simple sperm sample which can be frozen and kept indefinitely.
– Egg freezing – this involves an IVF-type cycle and collection of eggs or embryos for preservation.
– Embryo freezing – this involves collecting and fertilising eggs to create embryos which are then frozen.
If you are thinking about starting a family and want to discuss which of the diverse ways for
achieve this goal would be right for you, please book a consultation appointment: