As a leading, inclusive fertility center in Kansas City, the Reproductive Resource Center (RRC) has been at the forefront of LGBTQ+ advocacy, particularly in protecting reproductive rights. As we gear up to celebrate KC’s PrideFest 2024, we want to stress the significance of early consultation with a fertility specialist for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples planning to start a family.

In most cases, especially for women 35+ or young transgender individuals interested in transitioning, early information and action are crucial to preserving your fertility dreams.

Fertility Services for LGBTQ+ Individuals & Families

RRC’s founding physician, Dr. Rodney Lyles, was known for being an innovating pioneer, and Dr. Brabec has continued that lineage, leading to our designation as KCs best fertility center. Our commitment to supporting individuals and couples needing fertility treatment support extends to the LGBTQ+ community.

Here are some of the things you should know if you want to conceive a child using LGBTQ-specific fertility treatments, especially if you’re using hormone therapy or surgical procedures with more permanent outcomes.

Learn all you can about LGBTQ family-building

It’s never too early to learn about the ins and outs of LGBTQ+ family building. Many LBGTQ+ individuals use some type of third-party reproduction if they want to be involved in their future child’s pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Depending on your situation, this includes the use of:

• Donor sperm.
• Donor eggs.
• Intrauterine insemination OR IVF.
• Reciprocal IVF.

Learning about your third-party reproduction options helps you make better choices about everything from living a lifestyle that supports fertility to whether early fertility preservation makes the most sense for now.

Transgender fertility needs

Individuals who are transgender have specialized fertility needs, depending on their long-term goals. If you are in your teen or young adult years, we highly recommend meeting with a fertility specialist before making any permanent changes to discuss all of the options.

 For example, if you are a transgender male, you have the option of retrieving and storing your eggs before transitioning, allowing the opportunity to use them for IVF with a female partner or gestational surrogate down the road.

If you are a transgender female, it’s worth considering storing sperm samples before your hormone therapy and surgeries commence in case you’d like to use IVF with your eggs to conceive a child. While there are people who have temporarily reversed their hormone therapy to retrieve eggs or sperm, the process is very challenging, and there is no guarantee of success. Fertility preservation until you know 100% one way or the other is the only way to know you have access to your genetic reproductive material in the future.

Seek Fertility Support in Your Community

We love events like KC City Pride because they give us the opportunity to find support, love, and celebration within our community. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend checking out The Queer Family Podcast, one of our very favorite must-listen fertility podcasts.

It’s hosted by Jamie Kelton, whose best-selling book (written with co-author Robin Hopkins) If These Ovaries Could Talk: The Things We’ve Learned About Making an LGBTQ Family opened the world’s eyes about all of the ways to become a family – with lots of humor thrown into the mix. Their book is a must-read for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community wanting to learn more about family-building options.

We Love Supporting LGBTQ+ Patients In Their Parenting Journey

There are so many ways to become parents, and RRC wants to help you in any way we can.

If you’re new to the idea of fertility treatments for LGBTQ individuals, schedule a consultation. We want to ensure you have all the information you need to make clear, informed decisions so you never feel that you missed out or regret not preparing for the future.