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On the Time to Talk Fertility Podcast by Fertility Centers of Illinois, we explore the family planning and treatment process for LGBTQ couples and individuals as well as fertility preservation options.

Treatment options will look very different for lesbian, gay, or transgender couples. To have a baby, we always need sperm, an egg, and a uterus to carry the baby. How we approach gathering those components can involve one or multiple third-party reproductive options. The path that each couple chooses will depend largely on personal choices and preferences.

Join us as Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron, a reproductive endocrinologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois discusses important information to help LGBTQ couples and individuals pursue or plan their path to parenthood.

The Time to Talk Fertility: LGBTQ Family Planning & Fertility Preservation episode covers helpful questions such as:

  • What can LGBTQ couples and individuals expect at a first appointment?
  • What treatment options are available for lesbian couples?
  • What treatment options are available for gay couples?
  • Can a friend or family member be a sperm or egg donor? 
  • What testing is done with a known donor?
  • What legal components are involved with a known donor?
  • Can a friend be a gestational carrier?
  • How does a couple find a gestational carrier?
  • How are gestational carrier candidates evaluated?
  • What legal components are involved with a gestational carrier?
  • What is partner assisted reproduction?
  • What is reciprocal IVF?
  • What is a Fertility Awareness Checkup and what is included?
  • How can those transitioning preserve their fertility?

The Time to Talk Fertility podcast releases new episodes monthly and is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadioStitcherTune InGoogle Play and Spotify.

Medical contribution by Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron, M.D.

Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and has been practicing medicine since 2004. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Chicago, and then completed her three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Northwestern.

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