IVF for Same-Sex Couples
Making shared motherhood a reality
IVF for same-sex couples
with NOW-fertility
Building your family is an exciting journey, and couples now have more options than ever. IVF can help turn your dream of parenthood into reality.
Personalised care for the best chance of success
- Choice of IVF clinics where treatment for female couples is legal
- No waiting time to start treatment
- Coordination with trusted sperm banks and in-house donor programmes available
- Reciprocal IVF (‘shared motherhood’) programme
- Egg freezing and embryo banking for future family-building
Is shared motherhood right for us?
Shared motherhood is a recommended treatment if both partners in a same-sex female relationship wish to actively participate in the creation of their future child. Medical tests at the outset of the IVF journey help ensure that the treatment is suitable for the couple.
Success largely depends on the ovarian reserve of the partner donating the eggs and the uterine health of the partner receiving them, factors assessed during the initial consultation with your NOW-fertility consultant.
How does IVF for same-sex couples work with NOW-fertility?
Your consultant will discuss the different treatment options with you so that you can make a well informed and balanced decision on how you wish to proceed. Your options will be:
- Traditional IVF with Sperm Donation: One partner within the couple undergoes IVF treatment using donor sperm.
- Shared Motherhood (ROPA Method): Couples may alternatively opt for shared motherhood, where one partner provides the eggs to be fertilised with donor sperm, and the other carries and gives birth to the child. This approach ensures that both partners have a significant role in the child’s creation.
- Embryo Donation or Double Donation: If neither partner uses their own eggs, they can choose to undergo treatment with embryos donated by others.
Selecting the right sperm donor is a crucial step in the process. Donors are typically young, healthy men who undergo extensive medical testing and counselling. Couples must decide between an anonymous or known donor and consider various phenotypical traits such as hair colour, eye colour, and height. Understanding the genetic profiles of donors is also essential.
Depending on the chosen country, donors may be anonymous or known. Anonymous and unknown donor sperm is sourced from external licensed and affiliated sperm banks or from a bank within the clinic. Known donors often require more time for testing and gamete quarantine, a precaution to ensure safety. This quarantine period can last up to six months to rule out diseases like HIV or Hepatitis. Genetic counselling and compatibility tests are recommended to minimise the genetic risks. Your NOW-fertility team will assist you to find the best donor match, guide you through the legal aspects of choosing donors, and coordinate with sperm banks and your chosen clinic.
We will also provide a consultation with one of our counsellors who will discuss the implications related to undergoing donor treatment.
Once a donor is selected, couples have a further consultation with their consultant and nurse before beginning their treatment.
Where can we have IVF with NOW-fertility?
- Spain
- UK