Reproductive Issues for Lesbians

Abstract

Lesbian families are often invisible within the national statistics describing family structure and subsequently they may struggle with the question of their own legitimacy. While lesbian families have historically been created through adoption by one parent of children from a previous marriage, it is becoming more common for lesbian couples to create their own families through artificial insemination. However, the homophobia and heterosexism within the health care system deny the legitimacy of this family form. Pregnant lesbians may feel that they have to choose between inclusion of their partners of adequate care. This article reviews many of the issues faced by lesbians as they struggle with the question of becoming mothers, and how social workers can help their lesbian clients address these issues.