Category: Inclusive Fertility & Family Building

Deciding to start a family is never an easy process, but for some employees who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, their journey to parenthood might need some more support. Being a 21st-century employer means establishing an inclusive, progressive and supportive work environment to attract and retain employees. A 2017 study by Mercer found that 33% of UK respondents do not offer equal benefits to LGBTQ+  employees because they do not know how to implement such a benefit! Check your fertility Here are some ways to provide support to your LGBTQ+ employees in their fertility journeys Recognise that there are multiple paths to parenthood Partner with experts like Hertility to raise awareness about the advances in fertility treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilisation), IUI (intrauterine insemination), surrogacy, etc., that made it possible for LGBTQ+ couples to have biologically related children. Refer your employee to resources like Hertility that may help them understand the basics of all things reproductive health will make them more confident in their reproductive journeys. Don’t treat fertility treatment as a lifestyle choice Gender-affirming treatments can impact fertility, and therefore, many require fertility preservation, such as banking eggs, sperm or embryos before medical transition. With the number of NHS-funded cycles declining rapidly, LGBTQ+ couples have to fulfil extensive criteria before being eligible for a funded cycle, because of which,  many are opting for private treatment, where the average cost per cycle can be about £5,000, varying significantly depending on the treatment options chosen and the clinic (HFEA). Listen to feedback from employees,  ask them what they would want to feel more supported in their choices and try to develop policies around them. Establishing fertility benefits policies – covering proactive fertility testing, fertility treatment or egg freezing costs or providing low-interest loans – can help align your interests with your employees, supporting their individual journeys to parenthood, facilitating equality, diversity and inclusion. Ensure you have fertility leave policies and make sure they are inclusive If you have existing family planning and health benefit policies, revisit the language and clauses to ensure LGBTQ+ employees are eligible for the equal benefits to support them as they embark on their parenthood journey, whether that be through fertility treatment, surrogacy, adoption, or parental leave. Hertility can help train your staff on all things related to policies. About Hertility Health Hertility Health is shaping the future of Reproductive Health by giving women the ability to understand and manage their fertility and hormone health from menstruation to menopause. 1 in 3 women suffer with a reproductive health issue, yet conversations around fertility, menopause and menstrual symptoms are still stigmatised in the workplace. As employees suffer in silence – up to £4k is lost per year per employee due to reduced productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism. To learn more about our Reproductive Health Education and Benefits for Employers, reach out to benefits@hertilityhealth.com or visit our website. Trusted resources: https://www.imercer.com/uploads/dmi/2017_lgbt_sample.pdf https://www.bpas.org/media/3484/bpas-fertility-investigation-nhs-funded-fertility-care-for-female-same-sex-couples.pdf

For LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, family forming is never straight forward. Luckily there are lots of fertility treatments and options out there. We’ve put together a list of the different options available, whether you’re looking to embark on family forming now or in the future.  Quick facts: IUI and IVF are popular fertility treatments for couples where both individuals are assigned female-at-birth (AFAB). Shared motherhood can also be an option for AFAB couples where both individuals can physically participate in the process. Surrogacy is another option where an individual offers to carry a baby for a couple or another person.  Adoption can be a hard but hugely rewarding process for those who don’t want to undergo fertility treatment. Sourcing sperm for fertility treatment There are three options for sourcing sperm in the UK:  A licenced sperm bank  A fertility clinic  From a consenting individual, you know personally If you source your sperm through a HFEA-licensed UK fertility clinic or sperm bank, your donor will have been vetted and their medical history checked. This includes infections such as HIV and hepatitis or a history of any genetic disorders.  The clinics will also be able to offer support and legal advice and each donor is only allowed to donate sperm to make up to 10 families.  If you’re planning on bypassing a licensed clinic or sperm bank and using donated sperm either from a known donor or another source, it’s recommended to ask the individual to carry out their own medical checks before donation. With using sperm from someone you know personally, there are legalities around who is the legal father of the child. It’s important to research this option thoroughly if this is a route you’re choosing to go down.  If you would like to use a known donor but would still like all the legal protections around parenthood, you will still be protected if you carry out the insemination at a clinic. Intra-uterine insemination (IUI)  Intra-uterine insemination (IUI), also known as artificial insemination, is a type of fertility treatment that involves injecting sperm into the uterus (womb) using a special syringe-like device called a catheter.  IUI is a commonly used fertility treatment for same-sex female couples, where one (or both) partners want to carry a child. For IUI, you’ll need to source some sperm—either through a licenced sperm bank or fertility clinic, or some couples opt to use a sperm donor that they know personally.  As long as you are ovulating regularly and have no issues with your Fallopian tubes you should be eligible for IUI.  However, IUI may not be recommended for you (or your partner) if you: Have blocked Fallopian tubes due to a pelvic infection or an underlying condition  Have decided you’d like to do shared motherhood (one partner’s eggs and the other partner carrying the pregnancy)  Have a low number of eggs (low ovarian reserve) Are in your late 30s or over 40 (with age the number of available good quality eggs naturally decreases, as do the chances of success, so IVF might be more appropriate) Couples have the choice for the insemination process to take place in a licensed clinic, or they may opt to do this in the comfort of their own home to save them money and time. But, there are some legal risks if you choose this second option. IUI is thought to be a less invasive and more natural process than IVF because it doesn’t involve as many medications. In vitro Fertilisation (IVF)  IVF is a fertility treatment where eggs are removed from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a lab. If an egg is successfully fertilised, the resulting embryo is transferred into the uterus.  IVF is another popular fertility treatment for same sex-female or gender-diverse couples and is one of the most common in the UK. Again, it requires a sperm donor which can be sourced from a licenced sperm bank, fertility clinic or someone you know personally.  IVF also forms part of the shared motherhood and surrogacy process. Shared Motherhood Otherwise known as Reciprocal IVF, shared motherhood is where eggs are collected from one partner, fertilised in a lab with donor sperm, and the resulting embryo is transferred to the other partner’s uterus for them to carry the baby.  Shared motherhood can be a great option for couples where both individuals have working female reproductive anatomy, allowing for both partners to be physically involved in the family-forming journey. Not all fertility clinics offer this treatment and eligibility depends on various factors such as your age, weight, lifestyle and medical history. Surrogacy Surrogacy is where an individual agrees to carry a child on behalf of another person or couple.  Traditional or partial surrogacy involves the surrogate’s eggs being fertilised using the sperm from someone within the couple, to create the biological link to one of them. This is often used by male same-sex couples looking to form a family.  Full or gestational surrogacy is when the eggs of the intended mother or a donor are used, and therefore, there is no genetic connection between the surrogate and the baby.  Whilst surrogacy is legal in the UK, it is an altruistic process. Essentially this means it is illegal for a surrogate to receive any monetary gain from helping you on your journey to parenthood, and it is even illegal to advertise seeking a surrogate. A surrogate can receive expenses.  There are a lot of other complicated legal issues to note about surrogacy. The most important is that the surrogate is the legal mother of the child when it’s born. This is even if the eggs and sperm used in the process are yours or were donated, and the carrier is not genetically related to the child.  The surrogate has rights over the child until you receive a parental order from the court – so of course, it is vital to choose someone you trust. For these reasons, it is common for a close friend or family member to carry […]