For LGBTQI couples, the road to motherhood is more possible today than ever
BY CRYOS INTERNATIONAL
For LGBTQI couples today, the road to motherhood has become far more achievable than ever before. More and more resources are now available to help same-sex couples overcome the challenges that they may face in the process of having a child. Moreover, support for the rights of same-sex parents is growing increasingly stronger.
However, there are a lot of important questions that same-sex couples need to answer before trying to conceive. Cryos is the world’s largest sperm bank and has over 30 years of experience in the world of fertility treatment. In this article, they highlight some of the most important questions for those beginning their journey to motherhood.
Who will carry the baby?
The first step is to determine who will carry the baby. Perhaps one of you is more inclined to carry the baby, or perhaps there are other factors that can help make the decision, such as age or medical history. Some women may choose to carry their partner’s egg so that both are involved in the process.
Couples who want more than one child may choose to alternate between who will carry the baby so that they both can have the experience at one point. At Cryos you have the possibility to reserve donor sperm for future siblings so that their children will be biologically related.
Where will the sperm come from?
Some couples have someone they know to donate sperm. This is beneficial in the sense that the couple will already be familiar with the donor’s personality and physical appearance. On the other hand, the relationship with a known donor can be challenging in the future, if there is some kind of disagreement surrounding the involvement and parental rights.
More and more same-sex couples choose to use a sperm donor. One of the upsides of using a sperm bank, like Cryos, is that the sperm bank requires donors to waive their parental rights to their sperm, so you eliminate the risk of legal issues.
Another benefit of using a sperm donor is that the sperm bank tests the donors for various transmitted and genetic diseases.
At Cryos you have free access to all the information you need about the sperm donor, so albeit the fact that you do not know the donor personally, you can get a lot of information about his medical history, personality, physical appearance, and you have the possibility to see childhood photos of the donor.
What kind of fertility treatment to choose?
You can choose between different treatment options: ICI, IUI or IVF. ICI and IUI are quite similar; the difference being that ICI uses a syringe to insert the sperm into the vagina whereas IUI uses a catheter to inject the sperm into the uterus.
The last option, IVF, is more complex, but a widely recognised method of assisted reproductive technology. The doctor takes the eggs out of the woman and mixes them with sperm in a lab and then places one or more of the fertilised eggs directly into the uterus. An older woman might have fewer viable eggs, so IVF may be the best route to go down, and a woman who suffers from endometriosis might struggle with insemination. In these situations, IVF is likely to be a more successful option. In any case, your doctor or fertility clinic should discuss all of these options with you.
If you choose to use a sperm donor, you can learn more about choosing the right sperm quality for insemination on Cryos’ website and blog or contact Cryos International’s customer service: +45 8676 0699, dk@cryosinternational.com.
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