Fertility treatments for same-sex female couples

Calling the girls, gays and theys… Don’t know where to start or what options you have? Download our guide for everything you need to know about family-forming for people assigned female at birth including treatment options, sperm donation and fertility basics.

IUI Treatments

Egg Freezing

Beta Community

IVF Treatments

Sourcing Sperm

LGBTQIA+

Navigating healthcare as a queer couple

There are still huge healthcare inequalities that exist for the LGBTQIA+ community. And when it comes to family forming as queer couple, it can be hard to know where to start. From testing and sourcing sperm to accessing services that have been designed (mostly) with cis, heterosexual couples in mind, often the first barrier is accessing the right information at the right time.

That’s where we come in—it’s time to queery the status quo.

DID YOU KNOW

93%

of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England are still falling short of reducing the burden for same-sex-female couples to access NHS services despite the recently initiated Women’s Health Strategy’s commitment.

A queer guide to getting pregnant

Our scientists and clinicians have compiled all of the latest up to date education and conversation to bring you the expert-backed guide you’ve always wanted to see in the doctor’s waiting room. Covering everything you need to know to get started on your fertility journey as a same-sex female, our guide includes:

Fertility and reproductive health basics

Fertility treatment options

Sperm donation 101

Fertility optimising nutrition

Case studies and stories

“What should have been a fairly straightforward conversation about our options became a stressful and extremely expensive journey without the necessary facts or information. Deciding what route to conception is best for you shouldn’t be decided by a clinic but by yourselves, as a couple. I wish we had had a resource like Hertility to help guide us through the process and remind us we have agency over all our decision making.”

Jen Brister

Comedian, author and ‘The Other Mother’ to twin boys

HERTILITY BETA-COMMUNITY

Want to help shape the future of fertility services for same-sex couples?

At Hertility, we believe everyone should have access to the highest standard of healthcare. We want to help same-sex AFAB couples get access to affordable, convenient and inclusive fertility services.

We’re building a dedicated care pathway for this community, but want to make sure we’re offering services that really reflect your needs. Join our beta-community and help us shape the fertility services we provide.

This will include things like a few quick questionnaires, optional focus groups and exclusive access to services when we launch. You can opt out at any time.

Want to help shape the future of fertility services for same-sex couples?

Get clear on your reproductive health

Whether you’re thinking about family forming now, or in the future, every fertility journey starts with understanding your reproductive health. Each of our at-home Hormone and Fertility Tests include:

A comprehensive online health assessment
An easy-to-use at-home blood collection kit
A doctor-written report analysing your results
A personalised hormone panel of up to 10 markers of reproductive health.

Start assessment

Hertility’s commitment to allyship

As a brand, we stand with the LGBTQIA+ community and against all forms of hate and discrimination. We are committed to always striving towards equality and raising the voices of anyone marginalised by the current healthcare system. Like any brand committed to learning, we’re also growing and changing as this space evolves. You can read more about our pledge to diversity and inclusion here.

Transparency with our language

We use the terms ‘lesbian’, ‘same-sex female’ and ‘AFAB’ couples and partners throughout our content. We know that not everyone who is/was AFAB and has an AFAB partner identifies as female, or as a lesbian, so we’ve decided to use these terms interchangeably to try and be as inclusive as possible to different sexualities and gender identities.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you feel there are other terms we can use that make you feel seen.

Want to learn more about fertility services for LGBTQIA+?

How to support LGBTQ+ employees

Fertility for Trans People: A Journey to Embryo Freezing

The Journey to Parenthood for LGBTQ+ Families

Got questions?

Can I take a Hertility test if I’m on T or gender affirming hormone therapy?

The Hertility test is designed for any individual who was assigned-female-at-birth (AFAB). You can take a Hertility test if you are on any form of hormonal medication including hormone therapy. However, depending on what medication you are taking, some hormones may not be included in your panel. If you are undergoing gender-affirming therapy, we recommend checking with your prescribing doctor before purchasing a Hertility test. This is because many hormones that we test will likely be skewed as a result of gender-affirming medication. Therefore, depending on your medication type, dosage and how long you’ve been taking it, your results may not be representative of your hormonal health prior to undergoing gender-affirming therapy. If you are on any medication (hormonal or non-hormonal), it is important to note these down during your online health assessment, so our doctors have a full picture of your medical history before reviewing your results.

Can Hertility support me with sperm donation?

Yes, if you are interested in finding a sperm donor, we can help you with this. After you complete your Hertility test, we can put you in touch with one of our HFEA-approved fertility clinics with sperm donor services.

Which hormones are included in a Hertility test?

Your test will be personalised to you depending on the results of your online health assessment. Our baseline test includes Anti-Müllerian Hormone and thyroid hormones (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone and free Thyroxine). However, depending on your medical history and symptoms, we can test for up to 10 hormones including menstrual cycle hormones (Oestradiol, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinising Hormone), androgens (Testosterone, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin and DHEAS) and Prolactin. For further details and a complete list please visit our Hormone and Fertility Test page.

What happens after my Hertility test?

Your test will include a doctor-written report analysing your results. This will include suggested next steps and a personalised care plan for you. We offer a number of services following your test including pelvic ultrasound scans, fertility clinic referrals, consultations with private gynaecologists to discuss your results, calls with fertility advisors who will be able to help sign-post you to fertility treatments you may be considering, consultations with fertility nutritionists and specialist fertility mental health counsellors.

I want to get started with IVF or IUI, what are my next steps?

Our first recommended step would be a Hertility test to screen you for any common reproductive health conditions which may affect your fertility. If you are considering fertility treatment such as IVF or IUI following your Hertility test, we can refer you to one of our HFEA-approved fertility clinics who can conduct any necessary further investigations and arrange the most appropriate fertility treatment for you based on your results. If you are unsure about which fertility treatment is best for you, we recommend downloading our queer guide to getting pregnant and/or booking a consultation with one of our fertility advisors who can run through the options available to you.