Fertility treatment for lesbian and transgender couples
Here, we provide an overview of the options for fertility treatment with donor sperm for lesbians and trans couples.
Fertility treatment for everyone
Diers Fertility Clinic was founded in 2006 by Liza Diers, who at the time was unable to legally receive fertility treatment with her wife, Lise, due to being in a same-sex relationship.
However, a loophole in the law allowed Liza, as a midwife, to offer treatment to others in similar situations.
From the very beginning, it has been a core value at Diers Fertility Clinic to provide fertility treatment to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.
Today, there are fortunately equal opportunities for lesbian couples and most transgender couples. However, with so many options available, it can sometimes be challenging to determine the right treatment path.
Treatment options for lesbian and transgender couples
IUI treatment – the natural starting point
If the woman who wants to get pregnant is healthy and has a natural menstrual cycle, IUI treatment is usually the first step in fertility treatment.
IUI treatment (insemination) is the most natural fertility treatment. There are no hormones to take or medical procedures to undergo.
During insemination, we insert donor sperm directly into the uterus via a catheter and fertilisation takes place naturally inside the body.
14 days after insemination, a pregnancy test is taken.
IVF treatment
If IUI treatment is unsuccessful after a few attempts, you may consider moving on to IVF treatment.
IVF treatment, also known as in vitro fertilisation, is more invasive than insemination (IUI) and involves several steps.
IVF treatment requires hormone treatment prior to egg retrieval, after which the eggs are fertilised in our IVF laboratory. If the fertilised eggs develop as desired, a blastocyst can be placed back into the uterus.
10 days after this transfer, a blood test can show whether or not a pregnancy has been achieved.
Reciprocal IVF
Lesbian couples can opt for reciprocal IVF, also known as co-IVF or ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner). In this treatment, one woman undergoes egg retrieval, and the fertilised egg is then transferred to the other woman, who carries the pregnancy using her partner’s egg.
Currently, this treatment is only permitted in Denmark if there is a medical reason preventing the recipient from using her own eggs.
From 1 January 2025, reciprocal IVF with partner donation will be available for everybody without the requirement of a medical justification.
Where to start?
If the woman wishing to conceive is healthy and has a regular menstrual cycle, we typically recommend starting with IUI (intrauterine insemination). This treatment allows you to try for pregnancy as naturally as possible using donor sperm.
Consider age
Age is an important factor in fertility treatment. Unfortunately, a woman’s fertility declines significantly with age, with a noticeable drop starting around 35. However, this doesn’t mean it is impossible to conceive naturally at 35 or older.
If the woman planning to conceive with her own eggs is in her late 30s or early 40s, it may be worth considering IVF (in vitro fertilisation). Many people try 1–2 rounds of IUI before moving to IVF, while others choose to start directly with IVF.
We are here to guide you in choosing the best treatment option for your specific circumstances.
Get a fertility screening
The vast majority of women who have not previously tried to conceive do not know their fertility status, and as we are all different, there is no single answer to what type of treatment to choose and when.
Therefore, we recommend that you have a fertility check if you are unsure whether you want to start IUI treatment or go straight to IVF treatment.
Among other things, a fertility screening can give you answers about the state of your egg reserve, whether there are signs of Endometriosis or PCOS and whether there is a passage in the fallopian tubes.