Preserving your fertility as a trans man or non-binary person

The decision to start a family can often feel overwhelming, particularly if you’re an LGBTQ+ person whose pathway to parenthood can take many different routes. If you’re a trans man or non-binary person who is planning on having gender-affirming surgery, either now or later on, it’s worth thinking about your future fertility options.

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Fertility preservation for trans men and non-binary people

Preserving your fertility means freezing your gametes or reproductive tissue for use in fertility treatments later on. For trans men and non-binary with eggs, this means undergoing a partial IVF cycle to retrieve the eggs from the ovaries for freezing.

Due to the decline in your fertility as you age, we recommend you freeze your gametes sooner rather than later and before you start gender-affirming treatment.

We understand that this could mean postponing or temporarily stopping hormone treatment which can be a difficult decision. Get in touch and we can talk you through your options.

Treatment

How does fertility preservation for trans men work?

To freeze your gametes, you will have to go through a partial IVF cycle, taking you up to the gamete collection stage. The gamete freezing process can take up to three weeks and looks something like this:

Step one

Fertility assessment and consultation

The first step in your gamete freezing journey is a fertility assessment. This will provide you with the answers you need to make empowered choices about your future fertility.

For those with ovaries, this includes an anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) blood test followed by an antral follicle count (AFC) internal scan. Together, these provide an accurate measure of your fertility health and your likely response to the medication used in fertility treatments.

Step two

Stimulating the ovaries

Following your fertility assessment, you'll attend some nurse planning appointments where we'll show you how to use the medication required throughout your gamete freezing treatment.

This begins with a daily injection administered at home to stimulate follicular growth within the ovaries. This increases the number of gametes that are collected.

In most cases, this is a 14-day course of hormone medication.

Suppressing your natural menstrual cycle

Step three

Suppressing the natural menstrual cycle

A second daily injection is then added at home to stop natural hormone production and control when your gametes are released.

Step four

Monitoring progress

Pelvic scans will be performed to check the development and growth of the follicles in the ovaries. This will determine when the gametes are collected from the follicles.

Step five

Gamete retrieval

Once the follicles have reached the correct size, an injection will be given to mature the gametes for collection. A needle is then gently guided through the vaginal wall to capture the gametes one by one. Don’t worry, you will be sedated for this part of the procedure to ensure you dont feel any pain or discomfort.

Step six

Gamete freezing

Healthy gametes are then rapidly cooled using a method known as vitrification. They are then stored safely in liquid nitrogen until you're ready to use them.

How much does fertility preservation for trans men cost?

You'll find a breakdown of a typical gamete freezing cycle below, as well as the cost of a fertility assessment to help provide you with the answers you need to plan for your future.

*Any medication required throughout your treatment will be an additional cost.

**All prices are subject to a regional variation.