Being gay doesn’t mean you have to miss out in the joy of parenthood. There are options available for gay couples and singles looking to start a family.

Surrogacy is one option and it refers to an arrangement whereby a woman (the surrogate) agrees to conceive, carry and birth a child for the intended parent/s to raise. A surrogate can assist gay couples or single gay men in their efforts to become parents. However, surrogacy is a highly complex process which needs careful consideration.

Lesbian couples have the opportunity to both become physically involved in the conception of their baby if they opt for a method called Partner IVF. Essentially, one partner provides the egg and the other carries the pregnancy once the egg has been fertilised with donor sperm.

One of the first things that a lesbian woman or couple undergoing fertility treatment will need to do is choose a sperm donor. Sperm donors are classified as either ‘known’ or ‘clinic-recruited’ depending on the type of relationship between the donor and the woman/couple. Rainbow Fertility can assist women whichever way they choose to proceed.

Transgender people should be comforted to know that there are fertility service options available to them when it comes to considering having a family.

The options vary depending on a number of circumstances including whether you are partnered with a female, male or are single and whether you have undergone hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery.

While not all transgender people opt for hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery, it is important to know that your fertility options are broader prior to these processes taking place, as both egg and sperm can be frozen for use at a later time.

We offer a tailored service to each of our intersex patients, based around their very specific needs. Our staff will take the time to better understand how we might be able to help.

Being aware of what impacts your reproductive health is vital as LGBTI people and couples may encounter similar infertility issues as heterosexual couples. Fertility issues can be caused by a variety of factors including increasing maternal age, lifestyle, environmental factors and medical conditions among others.