Transgender Family-Building and Fertility Care on Long Island

Fertility Care Options for Trans Male Patients

Patients who were assigned female at birth and have not medically transitioned have the option of utilizing the eggs they were born with to have a child. They may also carry the pregnancy, if desired, provided that no ovarian, uterine, or tubal issues are present, however, some patients prefer that a partner or surrogate carry the pregnancy

If choosing to use your own eggs and uterus, your primary fertility care options include intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and egg freezing:

• IUI: Sperm from a partner or a donor is placed in your uterus around the time of ovulation
• IVF: You will take a series of fertility medications to mature multiple eggs, which are extracted and fertilized with sperm from your partner or a donor to create embryos, which can then be transferred to your uterus. If your partner has a healthy uterus, the embryo can alternatively be transferred to their uterus.
• Egg Freezing: Your eggs are retrieved and frozen so that they can later be thawed and fertilized to create embryos. This option is particularly important for those who are planning to undergo gender-affirming procedures or therapies.

Fertility Care Options for Trans Female Patients

Patients who were assigned male at birth and have not medically transitioned have the option of utilizing their own sperm to have a child. Depending on your specific needs, your fertility care options will typically include sperm freezing, IUI, and IVF.

• Sperm Freezing: You provide a semen sample, which is then cryopreserved through a flash-freezing process called vitrification. This option is particularly important for those who are planning to undergo gender-affirming procedures or therapies.
• IUI: For trans female patients with partners who have uteruses, IUI can be performed to transport your sperm into their uterus. IUI can be done with fresh or frozen sperm.
• IVF: Embryos are created using your sperm and eggs from your partner or an egg donor. A healthy embryo is then transferred to either your partner’s uterus, if applicable, or to a gestational surrogate’s uterus. Like IUI, IVF can be performed using fresh or frozen sperm.