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Building your family as a transgender person
Starting a family as a transgender person can be an overwhelming and emotional experience. However, there are various ways to create a family you have always dreamed of through different treatments, such as fertility preservation, using a sperm or egg donor, or surrogacy.
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What are my fertility options as a transgender person?
Fertility preservation - Hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery can affect fertility. Therefore, a transgender person going through a gender transition should consider fertility preservation treatment.
Preserving your fertility involves collecting, freezing and storing your gametes for future use. As a trans man, you'll undergo a partial in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle, which includes a short course of hormone medication to stimulate gamete growth, followed by a retrieval procedure performed under mild sedation.
Healthy gametes are then rapidly frozen using a method called vitrification and stored in liquid nitrogen for future use.
As a trans woman, we can collect, cool and safely store your gametes as a way of preserving your fertility. In some cases, we can also perform a surgical procedure if you're unable to produce a sample yourself. Frozen gametes can be used in treatment cycles such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), allowing you the flexibility to try for a family when it feels right for you.
Using a donor - Building a family through donation is another option, but there are important considerations to keep in mind when choosing a donor. For instance, recipients can choose a known donor or an anonymous one from a fertility clinic. Initially, you'll review donor profiles based on personal preferences.
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These may include physical characteristics like height, hair colour, and eye colour. Many recipients prefer a donor who closely matches their own traits, but it’s essential to understand that there is no guarantee the child will inherit the same physical features.
Legal and ethical considerations are also important. In the UK, the birthing parent is always recognised as the legal parent of any resulting children, rather than the donor. This means you will not be the biological parent, as the embryo will contain the donor's DNA. However, the birthing parent is acknowledged as the legal parent, meaning the donor has no rights concerning the child's upbringing and is not obligated to provide financial support.
Additionally, there are limitations in the UK regarding the number of families that can be created using gametes from the same donor, which is capped at 10 families. However, each family can have multiple children from the same donor if they choose.
Surrogacy - If you or your partner is unable to carry a baby, surrogacy may be a viable option. Surrogacy or gestational surrogacy involves another person carrying and delivering a child for an individual or couple. The surrogate undergoes IVF, where the embryo, created using the gametes of the intended parents or donors, is transferred to the carrier’s uterus. It's important to know that with gestational surrogacy, the surrogate and child are not biologically related. So, this means that one or both of the intended parents (the donors) can be genetically related to the child.
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How can TFP Fertility help
At TFP Fertility, we are constantly exploring ways to assist you in building the family you have always longed for.
As a transgender person, you may be referred for fertility preservation by your gender clinic, or you can choose to self-refer. During your first consultation, we will discuss your relationship status, your plans for future use of egg or sperm samples, and the various treatment options available to support you on your journey to parenthood.
Rest assured, our fertility experts are here to provide you with the guidance needed to ensure the best possible outcome for you.
Written in partnership with LGBT Mummies
LGBT Mummies is an organisation focused on empowering LGBTQIA+ families and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community on their journey to parenthood.
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Ready to start your fertility journey? We're here for you
Speak to our patient support team for advice about your options and to book your first consultation with a fertility expert.