Everyone deserves the chance to have a family. Fertility tips for Trans Parents often are relegated to sites that focus on LGBTQ+ issues and rights, but it is important for individuals and couples who are starting or continuing to build their families to know that the reproductive professionals they choose to partner with will understand their unique needs. Having a supportive network on that journey is essential. Fairfax EggBank Client Relations Specialists work closely with anyone searching for an egg donor for their fertility plans.
LGBTQ+ parents have an exciting path to parenthood and it’s important to choose a team with experience working with single parents as well as couples.
At Fairfax EggBank, our team has helped build beautiful families with our premier frozen donor eggs and understands the unique needs of LGBTQ+ parents. Our sibling company Fairfax Cryobank is the most trusted source for frozen donor sperm, responsible for helping many individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status achieve pregnancy and fulfill their dreams of expanding their family.
Whether choosing a fresh or frozen egg donor, or choosing a sperm donor, here are 6 important tips to help navigate the path when starting the process to becoming a family.
Find The Right Fertility Clinic
Your fertility clinic will be your partner in coordinating each step that’s required. It is important to find a clinic and a team that is experienced and thoughtful working with Trans individuals or couples. The clinic that you work with should have a full understanding of your specific needs as Trans man or Trans woman and whether you are planning to start a family as a single parent or as a couple.
It’s important first and foremost to schedule a consultation with a fertility specialist. During your consultation, you, or you and your partner can discuss any questions or concerns you may have. In your consultation, your specialist will review the medical history of both biological contributors to the embryo, as well as that of the person carrying the pregnancy to term if a gestational carrier will be used. The goal is always to ensure good health and fertility eligibility for a successful pregnancy.
Be sure to ask about all the fertility options available and discuss your family planning goals. Talking through treatment options and planning helps to determine the best path to conception.
LGBTQ+ families can find more detailed information on supportive sites like Human Rights Campaign, Men Having Babies, and Family Equality. Find specialists in your area that are trained and experienced in helping Gay, Lesbian, & Trans individuals and partners build their families.
Decide Who Will Carry the Baby
If you or your partner will not be carrying the baby, you will have to choose a gestational carrier. Individuals with a healthy uterus may decide to carry the baby themselves, while others may choose to use a surrogate. The surrogate can also be an egg donor, or you can choose another egg donor through the IVF clinic, through an agency or use an egg bank.
Fairfax EggBank works directly with hundreds of IVF clinics across the country and around the world. We also partner with some surrogacy agencies.
Laws and protections for Transgender families vary by state. It’s important to work with an LGBTQ-friendly surrogacy professional or agency who understands your state’s specific protections. You can read more about the process at Surrogate.com. You can also research Trans rights on
Choose an Egg Donor
For individuals that choose to use an egg bank, that will be coordinated through your clinic. In some cases directly through an IVF clinic if they have an in-house program of fresh donors. Depending on the clinic, you may be required to choose a donor from their program as well, so it is important to know what your options for donors are before agreeing to program. In many cases, the donor selection may be limited to local donors. One of the benefits of an egg bank is that donors from across the country are available. Those are important things to consider when choosing a program.
When choosing an egg donor, you might have some more specific questions about the process. At Fairfax EggBank, LGBTQ+ donor egg parents are guided through the process with one of our dedicated Client Relations Specialists. We help anyone with female-factor infertility, or couples and individuals who require a donor egg to become parents.
If you haven’t chosen your clinic yet, donor eggs can be kept in storage with Fairfax EggBank until you have selected a partnered clinic and scheduled your or your gestational carrier’s cycle.
Decide Whose Sperm to Use
You and/or your significant other will also have to determine whose sperm to use. Couples with a partner(s) that may provide the sperm can opt to use one or both partner’s sperm to fertilize the eggs. Some individuals or couples will need to use donor sperm to achieve pregnancy.
There are several fertility treatment options. When using donor sperm, you or your partner may be able to choose intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in some cases in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be required to achieve pregnancy. With IUI, you and/or your partner (or in the case of a surrogate who is also an egg donor, they), will be inseminated with donor sperm. If you choose IVF, you and/or your partner, or the donor, will provide eggs and your IVF clinic will create embryos using the same sperm.
Once you decide how you want to proceed, make sure that you are clear about your instructions with your clinic.
Fairfax Cryobank provides detailed information for queer families to find their perfect sperm donor match. Learn more about the Fairfax EggBank Embryo Development Guarantee and the Fairfax Cryobank Pregnancy Pledge.
NOTE: There are individuals and couples that may use donors for both eggs and sperm, and/or a separate gestational carrier. There are many beautiful options for building families, and they can all be coordinated through your IVF clinic, which is why it is so important to choose the right one from the start.
Establish Your Legal Parental Rights
It is important to establish your legal rights for you, your child, and the future. The Human Rights Campaign have resources to help parents navigate their specific states laws that affect the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer parenting community. You can find specific links to your state on the HRC Laws & Legislation, State & Local Policy State Equality Index 2020.
Genetic Screening
As genetics advance, access to more extensive testing is available that can help parents understand the potential risks for inheriting genetic conditions. At Fairfax EggBank, our egg donors are screened with the most advanced tests available when they join the program. Beginning in 2019, new egg donors welcomed into the program were screened with GenPanel+, the most extensive screening available. As additional tests become available, donors will be screened for those as well.
The sperm provider will undergo a rigorous screening for infectious diseases and if the egg donor is a carrier for a condition, the sperm provider is recommended to be tested for any specific conditions that the egg donor tests positive for.
Similarly, sperm donors should also be tested for genetic conditions. It is important to choose a sperm donor from a source that either is willing to get tested or has already been tested.
The person providing their eggs can then be tested for specific conditions to reduce the risk of conditions in the baby. You can learn more about Fairfax Cryobank genetic screening here.
Talk to a Fertility Expert
Those were a few things to consider when you and your partner decide to start a family. If you have any questions about fertility options for Gay, Lesbian, Trans, and Queer parents, reach out to Fairfax EggBank today.
We can discuss egg donor options and direct you to the IVF clinics and partners we work with to answer any questions you have about fertility treatments and processes. You can also connect with Fairfax Cryobank to discuss sperm donor options.
We want to help you into the emotional and fulfilling adventure of parenthood. That’s why we are committed to being a partner with you as you take the next steps to build your family.
Using an egg donor can seem overwhelming, but you aren’t alone. Our experts are supportive throughout the process of finding the perfect egg donor for transgender parents. We can also explain all the financial and legal aspects of this unique family-building process.
If you want more information about egg donation for transgender parents, please contact one of our dedicated Client Relations Specialists.
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