Well, Well, Well

5 Sep 2019

Queer Fertility Series – Part I

Family, Trans & Gender Diverse

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Well, Well, Well – Queer Fertility Series

Claire wants to have a baby and Amelia wants to talk about making babies. What a pair! Well, Well, Well’s Claire and Amelia from Thorne Harbour Health are creating their own baby – a Fertility Series that will be your one-stop podcast for all things LGBTIQA+ and rainbow families. In this first episode, we hear about some fertility treatment terms, some common fertility tests and what we can expect from the rest of the fertility series.

Terms we can use when talking about LGBTIQA+ fertility

Fertility Treatment, or Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)	A collective term used for a procedure that attempts to procure pregnancy in a person, by means other than sexual intercourse or artificial insemination
Intrauterine insemination (IUI)	A procedure in which a fine catheter (tube) is inserted through a cervix (the natural opening of the uterus) into the uterus to deposit a sperm sample directly into the uterus. The purpose of this relatively simple procedure is to achieve fertilisation and pregnancy. IUI can also be called artificial insemination (AI) or donor insemination (DI) if donor sperm is used.
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)	A laboratory procedure in which sperm are placed with an unfertilized egg in a Petri dish to achieve fertilization. If the egg is fertilised, the embryo is then transferred into the uterus a few days later to begin a pregnancy, or the embryo is cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)	ICSI is a micromanipulation technique where a single sperm is injected into the egg to achieve fertilization. If the egg is fertilised, the embryo is then transferred into the uterus a few days later to begin a pregnancy, or the embryo is cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.
Fertility	The ability of a person to use their genetic materials to create a pregnancy. If a person has some medical issues with their fertility and needs the assistance of medical interventions, we refer to this as infertility. For LGBTIQA+ people, medical interventions may also be used to achieve a pregnancy, despite the individual being otherwise “fertile”.
Egg	The reproductive cells that are held in ovaries. When an egg is combined with sperm, this can result in a fertilised embryo, which can grow into a pregnancy if this is within a uterus. In Assisted Reproductive Technology, an egg collection procedure can be undertaken in an attempt to collect eggs from a person with ovaries.
Sperm	The reproductive cells that are held in testes. When sperm or semen is combined with an egg, this can result in a fertilised embryo, which can grow into a pregnancy if this is within a uterus. In Assisted Reproductive Technology, sperm can be collected from a semen sample produced by ejaculation or medical collection.
Embryo	An embryo results if an egg is fertilised and continues to grow, from the early stages of fertilization to the beginning of the third month of pregnancy (in humans). After that point in time, it is termed a foetus.
Pregnancy	The growth of an embryo into a foetus inside a uterus. If a pregnancy is healthy, it can result in the birth of a child.
Birthparent	The person or parent who carries a pregnancy and subsequently gives birth to a child is known as the birth parent. In legal terms, a birth parent is considered a legal parent of any child (or children) born.
Non-birth parent, co-parent or parent	A person who intends to parent a child. This person may or may not be listed on the birth certificate of the child, depending on the parenting arrangements that have been discussed between family members.
Intended or commissioning parent(s)	For a surrogacy arrangement, the person or persons who enter into the surrogacy arrangement for a person with a uterus to carry a pregnancy and birth any child (or children) on behalf of another person or people.
Surrogate	For a surrogacy arrangement, a person who carries a pregnancy and subsequently gives birth to a child on behalf of another person or people.
Known Donor	A person who donates sperm or eggs and is known to the recipient.
Clinic Recruited Donor	A person who donates sperm or eggs and is not known to the recipient, and is organised through a fertility clinic. In Australia, donors can be local (Australian) or from international fertility clinics.