LGBTQ+ Family Building Part 2: Fertility Care Options for Aspiring Gay Men Parents
Posted on June 25th, 2024
Pride Month is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and providing them with the resources they need to thrive. One of those resources is top-tier fertility care. For aspiring gay male parents, the main option is egg donation with gestational surrogacy.
Egg Donation
Egg donation for same-sex gay men is a vital step in their journey to fatherhood. It involves selecting an egg donor whose eggs will be fertilized with the sperm of one or both intended fathers. This process begins with choosing a donor, which can be done through an agency or a known donor. The chosen donor undergoes medical and psychological screenings to ensure her health and suitability.
Once selected, the donor receives hormonal treatments to stimulate egg production. These eggs are then retrieved through a minor surgical procedure. After retrieval, the eggs are fertilized in a lab using sperm from the intended father(s) through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The resulting embryos can be tested for genetic health and then used for surrogacy or other methods to achieve a successful pregnancy.
Gestational Surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy is a process where a woman carries a pregnancy for another family. Known as the gestational surrogate or carrier, this woman has no genetic connection to the baby. Instead, an egg donor provides the biological material needed for conception.
The process begins with IVF, where an egg donor's eggs are retrieved and fertilized in a lab using the sperm of one of the intended parents. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the gestational carrier's uterus. This ensures that the carrier has no genetic ties to the child.
While gestational surrogacy involves several steps, including finding a suitable egg donor and completing the egg retrieval procedure, fertility clinics and surrogacy agencies support intended parents through each stage, ensuring a smoother path to parenthood.
Explore LGBTQ+ Fertility Treatments
If you’re a gay man or couple ready to pursue parenthood, Aspire HFI is here to help navigate you through each step of the process. We can connect you with wonderful egg donors and top-rated surrogacy agencies and work with them to ensure a smooth surrogacy process from start to finish. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment with our experienced reproductive specialists.
