By Dr Andrew Zuschmann, Miranda fertility specialist at Rainbow Fertility
If you are thinking of starting a family, you need to make many important decisions and understand many facts.
Here are the key things to consider:
One of the first things a lesbian woman or couple undergoing fertility treatment must do is choose a sperm donor. Sperm donors are classified as “known” or “unknown/clinic-recruited”, depending on the relationship between donor and recipient.
A “known donor” is where the sperm donor’s identity (often a friend or family member) is known. “Clinic-recruited” donors are where the donor’s identity is unknown, although identifying information is available when the child reaches 18 years (or younger, depending on the relevant state legislation or regulations). Clinic-recruited donors are screened for various factors, including medical history, and are only available through a licenced fertility clinic. You can now find your ideal donor using Addam Donor Bank.
A lesbian couple must decide who will carry the pregnancy. Personal preference and existing medical conditions often influence who will carry the pregnancy. A common choice is to undertake partner IVF.
Partner IVF is an option for lesbian couples where both partners want to be physically involved with the conception of the baby. The eggs are retrieved from one partner and fertilised with donor sperm, and the resulting embryo is transferred into the uterus of the other partner, who then carries the pregnancy.
Finally, there is a range of methods to conceive a baby as a lesbian, including donor insemination (or Intra-Uterine Insemination – IUI), In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) used when IUI or surgical interventions have failed, and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) a technique developed to maximise the chance of fertilisation and recommended for people who have had a poor or no fertilisation during standard IVF.
