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Fertility options for trans women and non-binary people
We support transgender and non-binary people to become parents. Every family and fertility journey is unique, and we’re here to help you build yours in a way that’s right for you.
Learn more about your fertility options including fertility preservation, conceiving naturally, sperm testing, surgical sperm removal, surrogacy and finding a donor.
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Fertility treatments for trans women and non-binary people
Trans women, non-binary people, co-parents and poly families have options for starting a family or preserving their fertility for the future.
We’re here to help you find the path that’s right for you.
Your options typically depend on whether you’ve had any gender-affirming treatment.
A fertility assessment will help us understand which options are best for you.
Here are the fertility treatments we currently have for trans women and nonbinary people.
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Transgender fertility preservation
If you’re having gender-affirming treatment or are planning on it, then it’s worth thinking about your future fertility options.
Fertility preservation means freezing your gametes or reproductive tissue.
For trans women or non-binary people with sperm, a sample can be taken either by producing a semen sample or using a small surgical procedure.
We can then safely store your samples for up to 55 years so that you can use them in the future if you decide to have children.
At all TFP Fertility clinics, we use advanced freezing technology called vitrification.
A fertility assessment will show us if you have fertile gametes that can be frozen for future use.
We recommend that fertility preservation happens before you start gender-affirming treatment, however, it may still be possible to preserve your fertility after.
This does mean postponing or temporarily stopping hormone treatment, which can be a difficult decision.
Fertility treatments for trans women or non-binary people
Not all transgender women or non-binary people need fertility treatment to become a parent.
Whether you need treatment, and which ones are available will depend on:
Your fertility status
Whether you had your testes removed
If you previously froze your gametes
A fertility assessment helps you to understand your fertility status and which treatments could be an option.
As you age, your natural fertility declines.
In this case, there are treatments to help increase your chances of a successful pregnancy.
These can be done with fresh or frozen gametes, which are used to fertilise an egg through one of these treatments:
Conceiving naturally as a trans woman
If you have your reproductive organs and want to conceive with a partner or co-parent who can give birth, then natural conception may be one option.
If you choose this route and you’re taking hormone therapy, it’s worth discussing this with your gender clinic, your GP, or a fertility specialist.
A fertility assessment helps to show whether your gametes can fertilise an egg, so you can understand your chances of conceiving naturally.
Gamete testing
A gamete test checks the health of the reproductive cells.
A sample is looked at under a microscope to see:
How many gametes there are in the semen (concentration)
The size and shape (morphology)
If they’re swimming normally (motility)
This is done as part of a fertility assessment.
It can help decide whether to use IUI, IVF, or ICSI on your path to parenthood.
In the case of low sperm quality, IVF with ICSI can increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Surgical gamete removal for trans women and non-binary people
If you still have testes but have had a penectomy, or can’t get an erection or ejaculate, then you could have surgical gamete retrieval to use in a fertility treatment with a birthing parent or surrogate.
Learn more about surgical sperm retrieval.
Sperm donors for trans and non-binary parents
If you have had your testes removed and did not freeze your gametes, then you could explore using a sperm donor.
If you’re conceiving with a surrogate, only an egg donor or a sperm donor can be used.
So if you require a sperm donor, you’ll need a surrogate who is willing to use their own eggs.
Surrogacy
For trans women and non-binary people registered male at birth, surrogacy can be an option:
To become a single parent
To become a parent with a partner or co-parent who can’t be the birthing parent
Surrogacy is where someone agrees to carry a child that you’ll become the legal parent of through a parental order.
In some cases, a surrogate may decide to use an egg donor instead of their own eggs. This is called gestational surrogacy or full surrogacy.
At TFP Fertility, we'll only support surrogacy where gametes from at least one of the intended parents is used.
This means you can’t use donor eggs and donor sperm together. Find out more on our legal FAQs page.
If using your gametes, an embryo is made either with a donor egg, your partner’s egg or the surrogate’s egg, using one of the following:
Intrauterine sperm injection (IUI) - if the surrogate is using their eggs
In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
The surrogate can be someone you know, or a surrogacy agency can help you find the right person for you.
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Finding a donor
Finding a sperm donor
We can help you find a sperm donor for fertility treatment, including IUI, ICSI, or IVF with your partner or surrogate.
This can be through our own sperm bank or from other trusted sources in the UK or abroad.
To help you choose your ideal match, we'll give you as much information about your
donor as possible.
You can also use a known donor.
This is when someone you know, such as a family member or friend, donates their sperm to you.
We make sure any potential donor has all the appropriate tests for infections,
diseases, and genetic conditions.
We can support you through this process and make sure you find the right donor for
you.
Find out more about using donor sperm.
Finding an egg donor
We can help you find an egg donor for fertility treatment, including IVF or surrogacy.
All our donors meet strict qualifying criteria to give the best chance of success.
We carry out full medical screening to protect the health of your surrogate and future child.
You can also use an egg from a donor that you know, such as a friend, relative or co-parent.
The eggs still need to be medically screened to keep everyone safe.
To help you choose your ideal match, we'll give you as much information about your donor as possible.
Learn more about using an egg donor.
Support and more resources
There can be a lot to think about when exploring fertility treatment as an LGBTQ+ person. Find support resources dedicated to you.
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Counselling and support groups
Our specialist LGBTQ+ fertility counselling, and where you can find more support.
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Legal and funding FAQs
What to know before exploring fertility treatment as an LGBTQ+ person.
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Home insemination
Everything you need to know about home insemination, including the legal and medical risks.
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Speak to us today
It’s important to us to give you the most personalised and compassionate fertility care in a safe and inclusive space.
Any questions or feedback, or want to discuss your fertility treatment options, or book an appointment?
Reach out using our contact form and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.
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