LGBTQ+ Fertility Options and Insights with Dr. Diana Chavkin

Hello Aspiring Parents!

As a seasoned and double board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility (REI) specialist, I understand the path to parenthood can be an emotional roller coaster ride, filled with moments of joy, despair, hope, and uncertainty. Working at the Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles (PFCLA), my passion is to help people build their families. I’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of individuals and families through fertility treatment and fertility preservation. Today, I want to focus on an important topic: LGBTQ+ fertility options.

Starting a family is a profoundly personal decision. For LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, the journey can be filled with additional obstacles and considerations. Let's delve into some crucial points:

The Journey of LGBTQ+ Parenthood: Key Considerations

Welcome to a world where dreams become a reality, families are built with love, and science and compassion meet. 

• Start Early: Remember, fertility declines with age. Consider planning your parenthood journey as early as possible. With more than 13,500 babies delivered and over 20,000 IVFs performed, PFCLA offers the expertise and guidance you need to navigate this crucial phase successfully.
  
  
• Preserve Your Fertility: Hormone therapy, often pursued by transgender individuals, can impact fertility. It's crucial to consider fertility preservation options like sperm or egg freezing before starting hormone therapy. At PFCLA, we provide comprehensive fertility preservation services to ensure your future family plans aren't compromised.
  
  
• Seek Advocacy and Support:  Take charge of your journey to parenthood. You need not wait for a referral; feel free to seek help proactively. Above all, ensure that you feel at ease with your doctor. Your medical team should be your pillar of strength and reassurance during this process. Having walked the path of infertility myself, I recognize the importance of having a medical team that is not only proficient but also empathetic and transparent. At PFCLA, we are committed to providing personalized and comprehensive care, focusing on each patient’s unique needs to achieve the best possible results.
  
  

Understanding HIV and Fertility

For HIV+ individuals considering parenthood, there are a few additional factors to bear in mind during the IVF process, and below are just a few to keep in mind. 

• HIV's Impact on Fertility: HIV can affect hormone production, potentially impacting fertility, especially when CD4 counts are low.
  
  
• Risk of Infection: A theoretical risk of infecting a child during pregnancy exists. However, this risk is minimal as long as the viral load is low and the individual complies with their antiretroviral therapy.
  
  
• Laboratory Precautions: At PFCLA, we follow stringent precautions in our IVF laboratory when treating HIV+ patients.
  
  

Exciting Future of LGBTQ+ Fertility Options

• Reciprocal IVF: A popular option for same-sex female couples, reciprocal IVF allows both partners to participate actively in the conception process. One partner provides the egg, while the other carries the child. We're proud to have helped over 1,500 LGBTQ+ parents build their families through IVF, surrogacy, and egg donation at PFCLA.
  
  
• Accessibility and Legal Protections: With increasing insurance coverage for IVF and other fertility treatments and growing legal protections, these services are becoming more accessible for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples.

I hope that some of these insights into the world of LGBTQ+ fertility options bring comfort in knowing all the possibilities you have to begin your journey. Remember, everyone deserves the chance to build a family, and we're here to help make that dream come true.

 You can learn more about myself and PFCLA below. 

Meet Dr. Diana Chavkin

In her practice, Dr. Chavkin takes a holistic and personalized approach to each patient, empowering thousands of families and individuals through fertility treatment and preservation. Her specializations include third-party reproduction (egg donation and surrogacy), reciprocal IVF, and LGBTQ+ family building. Moreover, she is an expert in dealing with primary and secondary infertility due to various factors such as diminished ovarian reserve and advanced reproductive age, fertility preservation with egg and embryo freezing, and recurrent pregnancy loss.

Having had her children through IVF, Dr. Chavkin intimately understands the fertility journey. Her personal experiences have inspired her dedication to her patients, offering honest, compassionate, and individualized care. Read more about her personal struggle with Infertility. 

Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles (PFCLA)

PFCLA, with Dr. Chavkin as part of the team, has been a beacon of hope for prospective parents since 1991. It has assisted in the birth of over 13,500 babies and served families from 75 countries. The clinic's success rate is higher than the national average, making it a trusted choice for many.

PFCLA also supports the LGBTQ+ community, having helped over 1,500 LGBTQ+ parents through treatments like IVF, surrogacy, and egg donation.

Begin Your Journey to Parenthood Today

Start your fertility journey with Dr. Chavkin and PFCLA. Schedule your consultation to explore your fertility options and take control of your future. Your dreams of parenthood await - let us guide you there.