How Can Egg Donation Help LGBTQ Couples?
At the Los Angeles Reproductive Center, Dr. Nurit Winkler and Dr. Marc Kalan believe in helping couples and individuals who dream of having children grow their families regardless of sexual preference or gender identity.
For LGBTQ couples, egg donation opens the doors to having a child and growing their families. For more information about how LGBTQ families can benefit from egg donation and the LGBTQ family planning services from the Los Angeles Reproductive Center, serving Encino, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Los Angeles, CA, we welcome you to schedule a consultation.
What Is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is a fertility treatment in which an egg, or oocyte, is harvested from a donor. The egg is fertilized using the sperm of either a donor or male partner. The fertilized egg is transferred to the uterus of either a gestational surrogate or female partner.
Egg Donation and LGBTQ Families
Egg donation can be beneficial to same-sex male couples and even same-sex female couples who have fertility issues.
For male couples, egg donation provides a way for one of the partners to share a biological tie to the child and gives couples the option to choose which partner’s sperm will be used to fertilize the egg. Male couples may also choose to use both partners’ sperm to fertilize more than one egg.
For female couples, egg donation may be something to consider if neither partner has viable eggs. Once a donor egg is fertilized with donor sperm, one of the female partners may be able to carry the baby instead of using a surrogate.
Egg Donation Considerations for LGBTQ Families
Egg donation makes it possible for LGBTQ couples to realize their dreams of parenthood and building a family together. When considering egg donation, it’s also helpful consider the following:
- Choosing a known or unknown donor: Couples or individuals deciding to use an egg donor will need to decide whether they’ll select a known or anonymous donor. Some people choose a close friend or family (not related to the biological father) while others may opt for someone they don’t know and will have no relationship with. The choice is entirely up to the couple and what they want for their family.
- Choosing a gestational surrogate: In addition to choosing an egg donor, gay male couples will also need to choose a gestational surrogate to carry their baby. A gestational surrogate may be someone found through a surrogacy agency or reproductive clinic or a trusted friend or family member.
- LGBTQ couples are the legal parents: The egg donor will have no legal rights as the parent of a child conceived from their egg. Contracts are signed during the egg donation process to establish the donor is not the legal parent. Additionally, California has laws that protect parents who have children through assisted reproduction even if they are not biologically related to the child.
Contact the Los Angeles Reproductive Center
When considering egg donation, it’s normal to have a lot of questions and concerns. At the Los Angeles Reproductive Center, our team is there every step of the way to help patients on their journey to growing their families. For more information about egg donation or to discuss other options for LGBTQ family building, we welcome you to contact our practice to schedule a consultation.