LGBTQ Families

Helping You Build The Family of Your Dreams!

IHR is proud to serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities by helping everyone achieve their dreams of parenthood. We offer many fertility procedures so all family types, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. We believe everyone can have the opportunity to become parents.

We have many options for members of the LGBTQ communities to build their families, they include sperm donation, insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) , egg donation, and gestational surrogacy. At IHR we believe that everyone should experience the gift of parenthood and we look forward to helping you build the family of your dreams!

Female Couples

IHR helps lesbian couples who desire their own biological children. For female couples, one partner may choose to donate the egg and the other partner will carry the pregnancy. In order to accomplish this, in vitro fertilization is necessary, as the partner donating the egg would be stimulated with hormones and have her eggs harvested and fertilized and then transferred into her partner’s uterus to carry the pregnancy. However, if one partner is providing the eggs and carrying the pregnancy, in vitro fertilization is not necessary.

Instead insemination can be performed and sperm used to fertilize the eggs can be from a friend, relative or anonymous donor through a sperm bank.

THE OPTIONS: FEMALE COUPLES

Artificial insemination (IUI) with donor sperm (Intrauterine)

IUI is often used because of its superior success rates with frozen sperm. Sperm is injected, using a syringe and a thin catheter into the uterus via the cervix, at the time of ovulation.

Partner IVF (in vitro fertilization)
IVF is fertilization of an egg outside the body and is the oldest assisted reproductive technology (ART) and still the most frequently used. IHR recommends IVF when one female partner wishes to provide the eggs and the other is interested in carrying the pregnancy. IVF can also be used if chance of pregnancy with IUI is low (because of age or low egg number). Thus, the partner providing the eggs has a genetic link while the partner carrying the pregnancy maintains a gestational link to their offspring. Genetic testing of the embryos to be transferred can also be done if the family desires family balancing.

Sperm donor insemination into one or both partners.

• IVF, using the eggs of one partner and fertilized by donor sperm, the embryo is implanted into the other partner.
• IVF, using the eggs of one partner and fertilized by donor sperm, the embryo is implanted into a surrogate.
• IVF, using donor eggs and donor sperm, the embryo is implanted into one partner.
• IVF, using donor eggs and donor sperm, the embryo is implanted into a surrogate.
• IVF, using eggs from both partners and donor sperm, the embryo is implanted into one partner.
• IVF, using eggs from both partners and donor sperm, the embryos are implanted into both partners.

Selecting a sperm donor
Lesbian couples may decide which sperm bank and which donor to use. Some couples prefer to use semen from a known donor.  We adhere to FDA regulations and make sure mental health professionals educate this lifelong decision. We also make sure legal contracts are in place to protect everyone.

Male Couples

Male couples who want to have children will need an egg donor, who provides the eggs, as well as a surrogate, who will carry the pregnancy. The couple will select an egg donor with one of our reputable egg donor agencies. Family members can also be used, if medically appropriate. Once the couple has identified both a gestational carrier and the egg donor, one or both male partners will provide sperm samples to be used in the insemination of the donated eggs.

Our egg donor program meets the highest level of professional standards and discretion based on criteria set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

THE OPTIONS: MALE COUPLES

Traditional Surrogacy with Artificial Insemination (AI)

In this case the surrogate is artificially inseminated with the intended biological father’s sperm.

IVF and Egg Donation and Gestational Surrogate 
IVF (in vitro fertilization) is used to control the ovulatory process, removing eggs from the donor’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a fluid medium (in vitro). The resulting embryos are then transferred to the surrogate’s uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy.

SERVICES FOR GAY MALE COUPLES

• IVF, using donor eggs and sperm from one or both partners, the embryo is implanted into a surrogate.
• IVF, using donor eggs and donor sperm, the embryo is implanted into a surrogate.
• Traditional Surrogacy—the egg from a surrogate is fertilized by a partner or donor sperm.