Donor sperm IUI for lesbians can open the door to motherhood

Texas Fertility Center San Antonio is a destination for LGBTQ patients seeking effective and compassionate care. Erika Munch MD, a San Antonio fertility specialist, helps patients understand their treatment options. One of these options for same-sex female couples is donor sperm IUI for lesbians, also known as donor sperm insemination.

What is donor sperm insemination?

This fertility treatment combines intrauterine insemination (IUI), which is also known as artificial insemination, with donor sperm to help women conceive. This family-building option works best when at least one of the women in a relationship has a good egg supply, regular ovulation, open fallopian tubes and a normal uterus. Our San Antonio fertility specialist will perform diagnostic testing to determine whether this is the case for each couple she treats.

If the test results suggest that donor sperm IUI for lesbians is a good option, the next step involves selecting a sperm donor. Some women ask a man they know to donate his sperm. However, it’s more common to select an anonymous donor from a sperm bank.

These sperm banks perform screening on each donor to ensure he is healthy and can provide a good sperm sample. They also provide background information to help individuals and couples select the best sperm donor for their family. Patients can learn about everything from a donor’s ethnicity and appearance to his personality and education.

After selecting a sperm donor, the donor sperm insemination cycle can begin. Some women will take fertility medications as a part of their cycle, while others will have what doctors call a natural cycle. Regardless of the protocol, the insemination procedure will happen around the time the woman ovulates.

Dr. Munch will use a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) to place sperm through the vagina and cervix to reach the uterus. About two weeks later, the woman will return to the clinic for a pregnancy test and will hopefully celebrate good news with her partner and our team.

Move forward with donor sperm IUI for lesbians

Our San Antonio fertility specialist and her team are proud to offer LGBTQ family building services like donor sperm IUI for lesbians. Contact us if you would like to learn more and start your journey to parenthood.