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A transgender man is a term used to refer to someone who was labeled female at birth but chooses to identify as a male. Not all trans men undergo a medical transition. However, many decide to go for testosterone replacement therapy to make their secondary sexual characteristics align with those of the sex they identify with. These treatments and surgeries often affect the fertility health of transgender men and prove an obstacle to becoming parents. Hence, trans men who would like to have biological children in the future may want to go for egg freezing. That is, either before they start taking testosterone or early in the hormone replacement therapy. Coastal Fertility is a leading LGBTQ+ friendly fertility clinic in California and has helped many transgender men achieve parenthood. Let us learn how the transition treatments impact transgender fertility and how freezing your eggs can help.
With time, testosterone therapy often results in amenorrhea (no menstruation) and anovulation (no ovulation). Studies have shown that over 90 percent of transgender men on testosterone stop having menstrual periods within six months.
Sure, transgender men can still become pregnant and have healthy children, even after medical transition. In a study of pregnant trans men, 80% of the participants reported they start having their menstruation within six months of pausing testosterone treatment. It is very important for transgender men taking testosterone to know that it is not a form of contraception.
However, the long-term impact of testosterone treatment on fertility is not yet known. A recent study was presented in the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting 2019. It showed that ovarian function was still maintained in transgender men after a year of hormone replacement therapy. However, there’s a decrease in the levels of AMH (the hormone that shows egg quantity). But transgender men who choose to transition medically may need to be using testosterone for the rest of their lives. And there’s currently no study that can give us a clue of what will occur after 5, 10, or more years of testosterone use. Additionally, we are yet to find out the effects of long-term testosterone treatment on egg quantity.
Ideally, a transgender man would commence testosterone treatment after undergoing egg freezing to preserve their fertility. However, the truth is, it does not always occur that way. A study of egg freezing results indicates that even if trans men have been taking testosterone before treatment, they can still have a successful fertility preservation treatment (i.e., egg freezing).
Testosterone (T) prevents the body from maturing and releasing eggs. The aim of egg freezing is to mature and harvest as many eggs as possible. This implies that trans men on testosterone will have to pause the therapy and restart their menstruation prior to freezing their eggs. We understand this may be hard to do. These men may witness a reversal of the masculinization process they have started once they go off testosterone.
As an LGBT friendly fertility clinic in California, we recommend transgender men have adequate mental health support when freezing their eggs. There are many common side effects of egg freezing. To name a few, bloating, breast tenderness, and a feeling of fullness in the ovaries. These symptoms can be very uncomfortable for an individual who may also be going through gender dysphoria.
Aside from these considerations, the egg freezing process for transgender men is the same as that of other patients. For 8 to 12 days, starting with the second day of the menstrual period, the patients will have to self-inject fertility hormones (hCG). These hormones will encourage their ovaries to produce many eggs. Once the eggs are mature, the doctor will harvest them from the ovaries via a minimally invasive procedure called the egg retrieval. These eggs then undergo cryopreservation (in liquid nitrogen) in the laboratory. You can then store the frozen eggs for as long as you want.
One great thing about egg freezing for trans men is that it provides them a lot of options to have children. Egg freezing prevents damage to the eggs as a result of hormone replacement therapy. Hence, it offers Transgender men several options for building a family in the future.
As mentioned earlier, it’s still possible for trans men to have and even carry a pregnancy. Transgender men can also use their own eggs to create a healthy pregnancy through IVF. The key thing to remember about this option is that studies have shown that testosterone can damage a fetus. Hence, we advise Transgender men to quit testosterone treatment prior to and over the course of their pregnancies.
On the other hand, some transgender men do not wish to carry a pregnancy. Some even decide to undergo a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) as a part of their medical transition. Once their eggs are frozen, a transgender man may use a Gestational Surrogate to help carry and deliver their biological baby. Alternatively, transgender men whose spouses have a functioning uterus may consider reciprocal IVF as a fertility treatment option. During reciprocal IVF, also known as Co-IVF, the egg of one partner is “combined” with donor sperm. The resulting embryo is transferred into the other partner’s womb. This process gives both partners the chance to biologically participate in the child’s conception.
For trans men who will be using a Gestational Carrier in the future, there is one more step to take. That is, medical screening for infectious diseases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that those going for egg freezing undergo testing for transmittable infections, like HIV, syphilis, hepatitis. The screening has to be carried out before the egg freezing process.
Most US employers and insurance providers do not cover fertility preservation options, such as egg freezing for transgender men. In a survey on employee benefits, only 3 percent of participants reported that their employers provide coverage for egg freezing. However, it’s important that you check with your insurance company to fully understand your coverage. Moreover, you should enquire with your organization to find out if they’re in partnership with any 3rd party fertility benefits companies. You also need to note that even in cases where there’s no coverage for egg freezing, the medications may be covered. That means you can get to save between $2000 to $5000 per cycle. If you are not sure whether your insurance covers fertility preservation or not, a financial counselor at our California fertility clinic will help you to figure these things out.
The good news is, we are beginning to see changes in insurance fertility coverage. For example, New York has passed a law that will require that insurance companies cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) and non-elective egg freezing (like in the case of cancer diagnosis). And all patients – regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or relationship status – will be able to enjoy those benefits. It is not yet clear, but hopefully, the “medically necessary category” will include Transgender men and women.
As an LGBTQ+ friendly fertility clinic in California, we believe everyone deserves to fulfill their dream of parenthood irrespective of their gender identity. Undoubtedly, egg freezing is the best viable option for Transgender men to preserve their fertility and start a family after the completion of their transition.
If you wish to learn how Coastal Fertility can help you with egg freezing as well as other LGBTQ family building options such as IVF, IUI, and surrogacy, simply schedule a consultation with us. We encourage you to explore our website to have a chat with our team.
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Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
Coastal Fertility Medical Center offers one of the most advanced fertility treatments and is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Coastal Fertility Medical Center offers one of the most advanced fertility treatments and is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
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Following the Preimplantation Genetic Screening process, which helps ensure there are normal chromosome numbers and detects possible genetic disorders, the most healthy embryo(s) are selected to be implanted into your or your chosen surrogate’s womb. 2 weeks after the transfer of the embryo, your physician will conduct a final blood test to determine the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your body. Increased hCG levels usually indicate a positive pregnancy test.
For fertilization to take place, the collected egg and sperm are combined in a petri dish and cultured in an embryo incubator. This dish is closely watched to check whether any of the eggs have been fertilized. Once the egg is fertilized, it is referred to as an embryo or a blastocyst on the 5th day of development. Our in-house embryologist carefully nurtures every embryo to the right time, even if it means working outside the standard business operating hours. For instance: If an oocyte is not mature, our laboratory will wait for it to mature and then ICSI it at the right time.
The egg retrieval is a slightly invasive medical procedure that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will be given an anesthetic to make you sleep for the duration of the procedure. Using ultrasound technology, your doctor will harvest your eggs transvaginally with a small, hollow needle connected to an ultrasound probe. Once your eggs are collected, your partner’s semen or donor sperm you have pre-selected is used for fertilization. The sperm are washed and prepared, and the top-quality sperm extracted is used to fertilize the eggs.
Your doctor will create a customized medication schedule that contains information about the fertility medications and hormone injections you have to take. Medication and injections are taken to encourage your ovaries to mature a large number of eggs for fertilization. Since women don’t respond to fertility drugs and hormones the same way, personalized protocols are crucial to the IVF cycle success. At Coastal Fertility, we will monitor you closely, letting you understand the changes occurring in your body and keeping track of how your egg follicles are growing.
On-site consultations typicallyinclude a standard fertility evaluation, consisting of a physical examination, complementary follicular ultrasound, and testing to enable your doctor to know your present fertility status and draw up a treatment plan.
This consultation includes a detailed medical evaluation with a doctor. You and your physician will review your health records and have enough time to talk about your goals and get answers to your questions. We recommend that you jot down all your questions before the visit to allow you to make the best use of the time spent with your doctor.
Your Reproductive Endocrinologist will take all factors into consideration and create a comprehensive plan of care, otherwise known as the treatment plan. This plan will include treatment recommendations from the physician and enable your financial coordinator to make a precise quotation once you meet.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
Upon your arrival, you will check in with a Patient Care Coordinator. We will obtain your insurance information for benefits verification, a copy of your identification and take a picture for your electronic medical chart
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.