Gender diverse

Planning a family

If you identify as a trans person, gender fluid or non-binary, we can help with planning a family as a single person or with your partner.

Some trans individuals preserve their fertility before going ahead with the medical and/or surgical options to assist with their transition.If you didn’t arrange freezing of eggs or sperm prior to starting puberty blockers, hormones or undergoing surgery, don’t worry, you still have options.

We’re here to support you with fertility advice through transition and beyond. Our team provide an inclusive, safe and non-discriminatory environment. We believe everyone deserves the chance to start a family and bring a baby home.

Trans-men

Preserving fertility

If you’re a trans-male, talk to your fertility specialist about:

  • freezing eggs
  • freezing ovarian tissue
  • freezing embryos created with partner or donor sperm.

Even if you have commenced testosterone treatment, it’s possible to get healthy eggs from the ovaries to fertilise and create embryos. Even if you’ve taken testosterone for several years, the ovaries can still produce healthy eggs. You may have to stop the testosterone for a short time to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs; we’ll keep this period off testosterone as short as possible.

Without your reproductive organs

If you have frozen eggs or embryos, but have had your uterus and ovaries removed, your genetically related child may be born using a surrogate or your partner. Your partner needs to have a uterus, be in good health and be ready to carry the pregnancy.If you didn’t freeze eggs or embryos, we’ll look at egg donation, including access to The World Egg Bank through Monash IVF.

If your partner has healthy ovaries, their eggs can be fertilised with donor sperm. You will have the option of surrogacy or your partner carrying the pregnancy.

Talk to your fertility specialist about your choices and donor sperm available through Monash IVF.

With your reproductive organs

If you haven’t had your uterus and ovaries removed and are considering pregnancy, it’s possible using either donor sperm or your partner’s sperm (if they can produce sperm).

We can also use intrauterine insemination or IVF using donor sperm or partner sperm. If using IVF, the embryo can be transferred to your uterus or your partner’s uterus depending on the circumstances.

Testosterone is not a contraceptive and some trans-men do get pregnant without help. We usually recommend stopping testosterone prior to conception, so it’s a good idea to talk to your fertility specialist before trying to fall pregnant without fertility treatment.

Trans-women

If you’re a trans-woman considering fertility preservation, talk to your fertility specialist about:

  • freezing sperm
  • freezing surgically removed sperm (if masturbation is not an option)
  • freezing testicular tissue.

Usually these options are only successful if they are started before any hormone treatment, so some trans-women are not or were not able to preserve their fertility.

There are still plenty of choices available for having a family. If you’re single, you can choose IVF using a surrogate, and embryos created with donor eggs and donor sperm. You’ll have access to donor eggs from The World Egg Bank and donor sperm from local and international donors.

If you have a partner, and they have a uterus and can carry a pregnancy, they can have an embryo transferred that has been created using a donor egg or your partner’s egg and donor sperm. If your partner has healthy eggs and wants to carry the baby, they can have an intrauterine insemination cycle using donor sperm.

Preserved sperm

If you have cryopreserved sperm or your partner produces sperm, donor sperm probably won’t be needed, and the choices around surrogacy and egg donation still apply. If your partner is able and willing to carry a pregnancy, this is possible via intrauterine insemination or IVF using your frozen, thawed sperm and your partner’s egg (or a donor egg).

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Wherever you are on your journey, one of our supportive nurse enquiry team can help you understand your options and take the next step. These conversations are free and informative.

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