The PNWF Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility provides comprehensive and inclusive care for LGBTQ+ patients interested in family building and fertility preservation. Since our founding, PNWF has always supported and cared for our LGBTQ+ community. Our Center strengthens that commitment by providing specialized fertility options to best meet our patients’ needs.
What Services Does the PNWF Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility Offer?
LGBTQ+ intended parents often face unique considerations in their family building journey. LGBTQ+ patients may need donor sperm, donor eggs, a gestational carrier, or some combination of these. In addition, there may be specific legal factors, depending on your home state. Fertility and family building can also bring up complex feelings that benefit from informed and inclusive care. Our Center offers comprehensive fertility treatment options and resources, both in-house and with our trusted fertility partners.
Collaborative Reproduction
Many LGBTQ+ couples require collaborative reproduction (using donor eggs, donor sperm, and/or a gestational carrier) to become parents. The PNWF Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility provides a range of collaborative reproduction services on site in our Seattle clinic, including:
- donor sperm intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- donor egg in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- shared maternity (also known as reciprocal IVF)
- gestational carrier IVF (also known as surrogacy IVF)
We created a partner egg bank, SIMPLIFY, to provide the most effective and affordable donor egg options for our patients. For donor sperm and gestational carriers (surrogates), we can recommend several banks and agencies to help you find the right donor or carrier for your needs.
To learn more about available treatment options, you can find a collection of our articles on LGBTQ+ fertility here.
Fertility Preservation
PNWF leads the field in fertility preservation. Our Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility provides specialized fertility preservation for transgender and nonbinary individuals. Recent research shows promising results in fertility preservation options for the transgender and gender non-conforming, and non-binary (TGNB) community, including for some patients who have already started gender affirming hormone therapy. Our providers are happy to meet and provide counseling and information on all available options, including for adolescent patients and patients currently undergoing hormone therapy.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Care and Resources
We recognize that our LGBTQ+ patients may have specific concerns or considerations on their family-building journey. Fertility and reproduction can bring up complicated feelings, especially for TGNB individuals. We are committed to supporting each of our patients with affirming and inclusive care. Our team will work with you to design a treatment plan that includes the terminology, resources, and approach that best meets your needs. We can also point you to a variety of resources designed to support LGBTQ+ fertility patients, including specialized grants and inclusive counseling.
Specialists at the Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility
The Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility is led by Dr. Stephanie Rothenberg and Dr. Darcy Broughton. Dr. Rothenberg is a recognized leader in TGNB fertility preservation, and Dr. Broughton published one of the first research studies on IVF outcomes for TGNB patients. Both doctors have researched and written extensively on LGBTQ+ fertility topics, and are passionate about providing increased access and inclusivity to the LGBTQ+ community.
How Do I Get Started?
We are honored to provide compassionate and expert care to our patients, and we hope to meet with you! The first step is to make an initial appointment at the Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility. This first visit usually involves speaking with a provider about your health history and fertility goals, then setting up initial fertility testing. Once you receive the test results, your team will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan. Schedule your intake appointment today.
