Fertility Options for Male Couples Can Make Parenthood a Reality

At the Center for Fertility and Gynecology, we believe sexual orientation should not be a barrier to having children and experiencing the unconditional love that having children brings. Because of this belief, we offer non-traditional conception to give male couples a chance to become parents through several options. Today, we will take a closer look at some of the fertility options for male couples that we offer in our Los Angeles, CA area offices. For more information, or to find out how our doctors can help you on your journey to parenthood, please schedule a consultation.

Traditional Surrogacy

Some male couples choose to conceive through traditional surrogacy. Traditional surrogacy involves only one woman, who acts as both the egg donor and the gestational surrogate. This woman may be a close friend, a family member, or someone from an agency.

With traditional surrogacy, a fertility treatment called intrauterine insemination (IUI) is used to facilitate conception. IUI treatment is performed by placing sperm from one partner or both partners into the surrogate's uterus at the time of ovulation. If a family member is acting as the surrogate, sperm from the unrelated partner will be used. IUI treatment may need to be repeated several times before conception is successful.

Egg Donor and Gestational Surrogate

Some male couples may prefer to use an egg donor and a gestational surrogate instead of a traditional surrogate. With this option, the egg donor and surrogate may be two different close friends, family members, or one or both may be from fertility agencies.

When an egg donor and gestational surrogate are chosen, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is used for conception. The IVF process requires the harvesting of eggs from the donor. During this process, fertility medications are given to the donor to increase the number of eggs she releases during an ovulation cycle. Once the eggs are ready to release, they are retrieved and frozen for later use or fertilized shortly after retrieval with the sperm of one or both male partners. The fertilized eggs are incubated and given several days to mature. The resulting embryos are then placed in the uterus of the gestational surrogate. IVF with an egg donor and gestational surrogate is highly successful; however, some may need to try a second attempt to conceive.

Things for Male Couples to Consider  

For male couples to conceive, they will need an egg donor and someone to carry the baby. The woman who donates the egg may be the same woman who serves as the gestational surrogate, or two different women can fill these roles. When deciding who serves these roles, male couples may want to take some factors into consideration, including:

• Will one partners' sperm be used, or will both partners' sperm be used?
• Who will donate the egg—a family member or friend, or will an agency be used?
• Will a friend or family member carry the baby, or will a surrogate from an agency be needed?

Learn More About Fertility Options for Male Couples

At the Center for Fertility and Gynecology, our specialists are committed to helping same-sex couples realize their dreams of parenthood. We can help facilitate both the egg donation and surrogacy process. If you would like more information about fertility options, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with one of our specialists today.