How Can Surrogacy Help Same-Sex Male Couples?
The team of fertility specialists at the Center for Fertility & Gynecology believes that everyone who wants to build a family deserves the opportunity to have one. Factors such as gender and sexual orientation should not prevent someone from having a child and starting a loving family. To assist individuals from Los Angeles, Tarzana, and Bakersfield, CA, in achieving their goals, we offer comprehensive LGBTQ family planning services.
Surrogacy is essential to many LGBTQ fertility treatments. Here we look further into surrogacy and how surrogacy helps same-sex male couples have a child that is biologically connected to the fathers.
Why Should Same-sex Male Couples Consider Surrogacy?
Same-sex male couples have a couple of options to consider when choosing to start a family, one of which is adoption. There are many benefits to adoption and each couple should choose the path to parenthood that is right for them. However, surrogacy offers several advantages that make it an ideal option for same-sex male couples, such as:
- The ability to maintain a genetic link to the child
- The opportunity to develop a relationship with the gestational carrier and be involved throughout the pregnancy
- The chance to select the gestational surrogate and egg donor
Types of Surrogacy
There are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. Patients who go through fertility treatment with a surrogate can choose to work with a traditional surrogate or a gestational surrogate.
- Traditional surrogacy - A traditional surrogate is also called a genetic surrogate. A traditional surrogate is inseminated with sperm collected from the intended father (or a sperm donor), making her the child’s genetic mother.
- Gestational surrogacy - A gestational surrogate for a same-sex male couple is implanted with an embryo fertilized with a donor egg and sperm from the intended father. They carry the pregnancy but have no genetic link to the child.
Surrogacy and IVF
Same-sex male couples who work with a surrogate do so through in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a multi-step procedure that oversees all stages of conception. Before IVF, patients select a surrogate and viable egg donor. The surrogate and egg donor take fertility medication to prepare their bodies for egg retrieval and pregnancy. Collected eggs are fertilized in a laboratory setting with sperm collected from the intended father (or both fathers). Embryologists evaluate the eggs and viable embryos are selected for transfer. Ideally, egg transfer results in a successful pregnancy, and the gestational surrogate carries the baby through delivery.
Finding a Surrogate
Same-sex male couples can select a known surrogate (usually a family member or close friend) or choose a surrogate through a surrogacy agency. Surrogates must be screened to ensure they are physical and psychological candidates for the process. Factors to consider when selecting a qualified surrogate include:
- Where the surrogate lives
- Personal beliefs and interests
- Personality traits
- Expectations for the surrogacy and future interactions or relationships
Contact Us
Surrogacy helps same-sex male couples start the family they desire while creating a genetic link to their child and maintaining an active role in the pregnancy. To find out how surrogacy can assist you on your journey to parenthood, contact the Center for Fertility & Gynecology and schedule a consultation at your earliest convenience.