We welcome the opportunity to help you to realize your dream of parenthood. Our physicians are experienced at overcoming the unique fertility challenges that gay, lesbian, and transgender patients face and will provide a personalized treatment plan that takes your needs into consideration.
Family Building for Lesbian Couples
Whether you are planning to be the biological mother, carry the baby, or both, we will perform an examination and testing to ensure that there are no fertility issues that could prevent a healthy conception. Next, you will determine who the sperm donor will be. While some women choose to use someone that they know (a known donor), it is very common to use a sperm bank (an anonymous donor). Then, your physician will determine, based on your medical needs, if Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) will give you the best chances for a successful pregnancy.
Family Building for Gay Male Couples
For male couples, building a family involves a donor egg with IVF and a gestational surrogate. The first step toward surrogacy is to determine the carrier. You may decide to go with someone whom you know or choose to work with a surrogacy agency. After the surrogate is chosen, she will receive embryos created from a donor egg IVF cycle or using sperm from you or your partner. No matter which options you choose, it is important to note that there are many medical tests and legal steps for all parties to undergo to help protect the health and best interests of all involved.
Adoption
You may feel that adoption is the perfect option to complete your family. There are many adoption agencies — both domestic and international — that successfully work with gay and lesbian couples to help them achieve their dreams of parenthood.
If you would like to learn more about how UNC Fertility can help you to create your family, we invite you to schedule an appointment.