The desire to have children cuts across different backgrounds: gay, lesbian, transgender, single, and partnered. Thanks to advanced reproductive technology (ART), a lot of people have achieved that dream. In addition to that, Gestational Surrogacy has opened new doors of hope for the LGBT community. Lesbian couples might pursue reciprocal IVF or IUI using donor sperm. With the reciprocal IVF process, both the partners achieve a biological connection with the baby. On the other hand, gay male couples might go for donor eggs, IVF, and surrogacy.
Consider the Insurance Policies
A large number of fertility patients find it surprising to discover that their health insurance provides little or no coverage for their care. Moreover, members of the LGBTQ community may face additional challenges in their family building journey. These barriers are usually posed by employer benefit policies and restrictions. These policies block coverage for fertility treatment, such as requiring that the partners have unprotected sex for a year without a pregnancy before paying for their treatment.
Know the Laws Regarding ART and LGBT Family Building
State laws can also restrict some family building arrangements. For instance, some states put a ban on paid surrogacy arrangements. One of the states that prohibit compensated gestational carrier arrangements is New York. In contrast, there are several surrogacy-friendly states that members of the LGBT community can choose. These include California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, or Texas, to mention a few. New York’s ban means gay, would-be parents, and people dealing with infertility need to travel out of the state for treatment. It adds more stress as well as costs to an already demanding process.
Current state law fails to clearly define who the legal parents are when a baby is born through assisted reproductive technology. However, many states are now considering to adjust the laws related to ART issues. With this, there may be some great news on the way.
The nation’s only physician-managed surrogacy agency, Physician’s Surrogacy, says that surrogacy law is continuously changing and evolving. The laws differ from one state to another, and sometimes, from one county to the next. Other than monitoring laws regarding fertility issues, there are many other legal considerations. Surrogacy and some fertility treatments involve fees and contracts with individuals/agencies for donor eggs, sperm, and/or embryos that LGBT would-be parents need to consider as well.
Find Effective Consultation
Given the extra complexity of the process, it is crucial to be well-informed. Additionally, the intended parents should have someone that will help them with the legal aspect of it. To be specific, it is important to consult an expert with in-depth knowledge of the laws related to ART issues in the states you live in. As states have helped create a better environment for members of the LGBTQ community, so have many employers. Employers are now offering “fertility building” benefits to LGBTQ employees too.
Choose an LGBT-Friendly Clinic
Thanks to the desire to have one’s own family, the LGBT community is now a growing consumer segment for the fertility clinic. As mentioned earlier, medical technologies such as Gestational Surrogacy, Reciprocal IVF, IUI have brought new directions to ART. A lot of clinics are ready for the medical and emotional support issues that all would-be parents face. Additionally, they can help with unique problems that might apply to your situation. These include counseling help, legal counsel recommendations, and referrals to LGBT-friendly surrogacy agencies.
Conclusion
Coastal Fertility Medical Center is an LGBT-friendly fertility clinic. We welcome and support anyone pursuing their dreams of parenthood. Regardless of your background, we are here to help make your family dreams come true. If you have questions about your individual family building needs, be it assistance with same-sex couple options, or single men and women options, we’re here to help! Please call us at 949-726-0600, or you can visit us at coastalfertility.com.
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