Instituto Bernabeu launches a motherhood guide for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women

• LGTBIQ+ people have had access to assisted reproduction techniques in Spain since 2005, when the Same Sex Marriage Law was passed
• This document has been prepared by a multidisciplinary team including experts in embryology, gynaecology and psychology
• The aim is to offer support and resolve any doubts the LGTBIQ+ people may have on their path to motherhood
• Before transitioning, it is advisable to consider the present or future desire for parenthood and to be aware of fertility preservation options

Instituto Bernabeu has launched a new maternity guide specially designed for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. This document aims to offer support and resolve any doubts the LGTBIQ+ people may have on their path to motherhood.

In Spain, LGTBIQ+ people have had access to assisted reproduction techniques since 2005, when the Same Sex Marriage Law was passed. This law equalised the reproductive rights of same-sex couples to those of heterosexual couples, allowing them access to techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and artificial insemination (AI) with sperm donors.

The guide includes a wide range of topics relevant to the LGTBIQ+ motherhood in Spain, including initial steps and planning for motherhood as well as the different techniques currently available to achieve pregnancy. Among them, the ROPA method, which allows lesbian couples to share the process of motherhood, one providing her eggs and the other carrying their baby.

There is also a section dedicated to preservation for transgender people. Hormone and surgical treatments can lead to infertility and even sterility as a result of gender-reaffirming procedures. “It is therefore advisable to consider the present or future desire for motherhood or fatherhood before beginning the transition and to be aware of the fertility preservation options,” says Dr Alicia Herencia, gynaecologist specialising in reproductive medicine at Instituto Bernabeu.

The guide also addresses the future newborn child civil registration. Following the approval of Law 4/2023, of 28 February, for the real and effective equality of trans people and to guarantee the rights of LGTBI people, it is allowed to register the children of couples in the civil registry, regardless of whether they are married or not.

This document, in which a multidisciplinary team from Instituto Bernabeu has participated, including experts in embryology, gynaecology and psychology, also addresses key aspects of the emotional and behavioural development of children, which does not depend on the family structure, but on the quality of the environment in which they grow up, highlighting studies confirming that children in lesbian and gay families tend to have quality family contexts.

Instituto Bernabeu has a long history in fertility and assisted reproduction treatments and is committed to providing comprehensive support to all couples who wish to start a family, ensuring the simplest and most comfortable process possible. “We are aware of the challenges faced by LGTBIQ+ couples on their path to motherhood and, for that reason, we have developed this guide with which we aim to solve all doubts that may arise in this regard,” according to Dr Alicia Herencia.

You may read the complete guide by clicking here.