Display options
Cite
Stuyver I, Somers S, Provoost V, et al. Ten years of fertility treatment experience and reproductive options in transgender men. Int J Transgend Health. 2020;22(3):294-303doi: 10.1080/26895269.2020.1827472.
Stuyver, I., Somers, S., Provoost, V., Wierckx, K., Verstraelen, H., Wyverkens, E., Van Glabeke, L., T'Sjoen, G., Buysse, A., Pennings, G., & De Sutter, P. (2021). Ten years of fertility treatment experience and reproductive options in transgender men. International journal of transgender health, 22(3), 294-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2020.1827472
Stuyver, Isabelle, et al. "Ten years of fertility treatment experience and reproductive options in transgender men." International journal of transgender health vol. 22,3 (2021): 294-303. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2020.1827472
Stuyver I, Somers S, Provoost V, Wierckx K, Verstraelen H, Wyverkens E, Van Glabeke L, T'Sjoen G, Buysse A, Pennings G, De Sutter P. Ten years of fertility treatment experience and reproductive options in transgender men. Int J Transgend Health. 2020 Oct 13;22(3):294-303. doi: 10.1080/26895269.2020.1827472. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34240072; PMCID: PMC8118233.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Int J Transgend Health. 2020 Oct 13;22(3):294-303. doi: 10.1080/26895269.2020.1827472. eCollection 2021.

Ten years of fertility treatment experience and reproductive options in transgender men.

International journal of transgender health

Isabelle Stuyver, Sara Somers, Veerle Provoost, Katrien Wierckx, Hans Verstraelen, Elia Wyverkens, Lien Van Glabeke, Guy T'Sjoen, Ann Buysse, Guido Pennings, Petra De Sutter

Affiliations

  1. Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
  2. Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
  3. Bioethics Institute Ghent (BIG), Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
  4. Department of Endocrinology, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwziekenhuis, Aalst, Belgium.
  5. Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
  6. Department of Applied Psychology, Howest University of Applied Sciences, Brugge, Belgium.
  7. Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
  8. Center for Sexology and Gender, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
  9. Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.

PMID: 34240072 PMCID: PMC8118233 DOI: 10.1080/26895269.2020.1827472

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Up to 2018, the Belgian law stated that transgender people who wanted to change their legal sex had to undergo physical gender affirming treatment. This included gonadectomy to a medically possible and justified extent, which entailed that they had to accept the fact that they could no longer reproduce. However, research has shown that many transgender people desire to have children.

AIMS: (1) to describe a cohort of transgender men and their respective cisgender female partners, to share our experiences with their request for donor conception, and to evaluate their disclosure intentions to the child, (2) to explore how the couples approach current and future reproductive options.

METHODS: This mixed method study presents data from a retrospective analysis of patient records and from a qualitative interview study. The couples were selected from the group of transgender men who - together with their respective cisgender female partners - applied for sperm donation at Ghent University Hospital between 2002 and 2012.

RESULTS: Forty-seven transgender men with a cisgender female partner requested treatment with anonymous donor sperm for a first child as a couple. Forty-one requests were accepted for treatment. We found that most couples requesting treatment intended to disclose the use of donor sperm to their future child (n = 34) while 24 couples were planning to inform the child about the parent's transgender identity. The six couples we interviewed saw donor conception as the preferred route to become parents. Adoption was seen as less obvious. The couples' attitudes toward stem cell-derived gametes reflected the significance of the genetic link with the child for both parents.

DISCUSSION: Not all participants in our study were aware of their reproductive options. To be able to make a well-informed decision, transgender people should be counseled about all options at the time of transition.

© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords: Fertility; counseling; disclosure; donor conception; reproductive options; transgender men

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

References

  1. Reprod Health. 2018 Oct 25;15(1):181 - PubMed
  2. J Sex Med. 2011 Dec;8(12):3379-88 - PubMed
  3. Hum Reprod. 2014 Sep;29(9):1859-65 - PubMed
  4. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2013 Dec;20(6):575-9 - PubMed
  5. Nurs Health Sci. 2013 Sep;15(3):398-405 - PubMed
  6. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2019 Jul;91(1):10-21 - PubMed
  7. AJOB Empir Bioeth. 2020 Jan-Mar;11(1):14-16 - PubMed
  8. Hum Reprod. 2005 Mar;20(3):810-9 - PubMed
  9. Soc Sci Med. 2015 Jan;124:391-7 - PubMed
  10. Perspect Biol Med. 2010 Winter;53(1):46-60 - PubMed
  11. Hum Reprod. 2012 Jan;27(1):159-66 - PubMed
  12. Hum Reprod. 2012 Oct;27(10):2998-3007 - PubMed
  13. Hum Reprod. 2000 Apr;15(4):737-8 - PubMed
  14. Cult Health Sex. 2021 Jul;23(7):945-960 - PubMed
  15. Hum Reprod. 2000 May;15(5):987 - PubMed
  16. Arch Sex Behav. 2005 Dec;34(6):679-90 - PubMed
  17. J Sex Med. 2011 Mar;8(3):783-91 - PubMed
  18. Reprod Biomed Online. 2003 Apr-May;6(3):382; author reply 282-3 - PubMed
  19. Hum Reprod Update. 2019 Nov 5;25(6):694-716 - PubMed
  20. Hum Reprod. 2010 Jun;25(6):1361-8 - PubMed
  21. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2018 Sep;19(3):231-242 - PubMed
  22. Hum Reprod. 2017 Feb;32(2):383-390 - PubMed
  23. Hum Reprod. 2009 May;24(5):1099-105 - PubMed
  24. Eur Psychiatry. 2012 Aug;27(6):445-50 - PubMed
  25. Hum Reprod. 2012 Feb;27(2):483-7 - PubMed
  26. Reprod Biomed Online. 2003 Apr-May;6(3):281-6 - PubMed

Publication Types