LGBTQ+ Families
Overview
LGBTQ+ Families
Overview
PNWF Approach
Love is love, and family can be the greatest source of love there is. We are proud to offer a range of services to help couples and individuals of all sexual and gender orientation start or grow their families. We have a long track record of helping members of the LGBTQ+ community navigate their fertility and reproductive choices and create treatment plans that meet their unique needs.Process & Options
Female Couples: Shared Maternity
Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI, is the most straight forward, and often the simplest way, for a lesbian couple to conceive. A full fertility evaluation will precede the insemination, assuring that the chance of success is maximized. For some patients, medications may be prescribed to enhance the potential for conception.
In some cases, one of the women will provide the egg and the partner will carry the pregnancy. In this process, In vitro fertilization, or IVF, will be necessary to fertilize the eggs in the laboratory before embryos are transferred to the selected partner’s uterus.
In either scenario, sperm utilized in the process can be provided by a known or anonymous donor. We have recommendations for sperm banks for our patients who are interested in those resources.
Male Couples: Surrogacy and IVF
Couples start the process by selecting an anonymous egg donor at PNWF. Once a healthy egg donor has been matched with the couple, a gestational surrogate is then identified, medically and psychologically screened, and a legal agreement is made with the help of attorneys.
The men then have the option to both provide sperm samples for testing and cryopreservation. Eggs can be fertilized and embryos created with both men’s sperm.
When all of this is complete, our laboratory will perform IVF with the provided eggs and sperm sample, then grow the embryos for about 5 days followed by the transfer of one embryo into the gestational surrogate’s uterus.
Pregnancy success rates are extremely high after this process, exceeding 80 percent.
LGBTQ+ Articles & Resources
PNWF Co-Founder Dr. Lorna Marshall on the History and Future of LGBTQ+ Fertility Care in Washington State
Providing LGBTQ+ fertility care has always been a cornerstone of Pacific Northwest Fertility. We...
Intro to Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility
Welcome to the Center for LGBTQ+ Fertility at PNWF The First Center Dedicated to Inclusive...
Patient Testimonials
Author: Pacific NW Fertility Team Overall Care “Thank you to the whole team for making our...
