Providing fertility services to lesbian couples: the lesbian baby boom

Abstract

Thirty to 50% of lesbian women of child-bearing age wish to become parents, and given the current social trends toward same-sex marriage, many will seek to do so with the help of a sperm donor. Although some physicians are hesitant to offer fertility services to nontraditional families such as lesbian couples, the varied concerns that have been expressed about the welfare of the resulting children are not supported by evidence. Treatment of lesbian couples can be incorporated into existing fertility services with minor adjustments that include attention to how the couple are treated within the office, the language used in written materials, and referral to a counseling source that is knowledgeable about lesbian families.