Medfem Fertility Clinic has long been treating single and same sex couples wanting to start a family, and indeed we were one of the very first clinics in South Africa to do so. In this time we have helped many single and same sex couples in their wish to have healthy babies. Our caring and supportive medical staff are committed to offering all our patients the best chance of having a baby regardless of their marital status or sexual orientation. We are a progressive and impartial innovative fertility clinic with a long history of working with non-traditional families (same-sex couples, and single men and women).
We know that fertility options and issues facing single men and women and gay couples may be quite different from those available to traditional families. In addition to a host of medical treatment options that require a deep understanding, there are financial, legal and emotional obstacles that require special attention and knowledge. At Medfem Fertility Clinic we are committed to supporting our single and gay patients through the entire process of creating their family, whether it is in selecting an egg or sperm donor, coordinating egg donation, or assistance in evaluating a gestational carrier.
Artificial Insemination with Donor Sperm
In the vast majority of cases reproductive options for lesbian couples or single women involves sperm donation only. After an evaluation of the intended recipient’s reproductive function the basic treatment course is artificial insemination with donor sperm. Donor insemination is a simple procedure, which requires the pre-selection frozen sperm from our sperm bank, or from a known sperm donor. A known sperm donor will normally require a full panel of infectious disease screening followed by a six-month quarantine of frozen sperm and then retesting of the donor for infectious diseases, before sperm can be deemed eligible for insemination.
The sperm bank at Medfem Fertility Clinic boasts an extensive list of screened anonymous sperm donors to include information such as ethnic background, body build, eye colour, hair colour and skin tone as well as education, profession and hobbies, among other details and attributes.
The chosen donor sperm is purchased in vials, and can be stored and thawed as required. Insemination can be performed during a natural menstrual cycle or a cycle in which ovulation is enhanced by oral medication such as Clomid or Fertomed, or injectable ovulation induction agents that can significantly increase pregnancy success and often shorten the duration of treatment.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) may be performed in women of advanced reproductive age or those experiencing tubal factor or other types of infertility. In IVF a woman’s ovaries are stimulated with hormone injections to induce the growth of multiple eggs at once. This is followed by an egg harvesting procedure which is conducted under light sedation. The eggs are then fertilised with the donor sperm to create embryos which are transferred into the recipient’s uterus three to five days later. Click here for more information on IVF.
Many of our patients who are engaged in a lesbian relationship choose to share the treatment and parenting experience. In this case one woman will act as the gestational carrier while the other serves as the egg donor.
Embryo freezing is also an option for single and lesbian women who do not wish to have children at the present time. In this case the woman can choose a sperm donor that is appropriate for them and then undergo IVF treatment followed by embryo freezing.
This is an excellent option for those who are worried about the future availability of a particular sperm donor, or if they are reaching advanced maternal age (>35 years old), in which case older eggs may have a reduced capacity of fertilisation.
For further information on embryo freezing click here.
Reproductive care for gay couples and single men requires the services of both an egg donor and a gestational surrogate. There are two types of surrogacy:
You may have a single female or lesbian friend who would like you to become a sperm donor for them. This would make you a ‘known donor’ rather than an anonymous donor to unknown recipients. At Medfem Fertility Clinic we can help you and your female friend(s) to have fertility treatment.
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