Reproductive Health and Fertility

Family Building

There are unique considerations for transgender and gender-diverse individuals regarding their fertility. Your team at UCLA Health Fertility and Reproductive Health will tailor your fertility treatment depending on the availability of eggs, sperm, and/or uterus. Available treatment options include: ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination, and in vitro fertilization. Patients may use donor egg, donor sperm, or a gestational carrier during their fertility treatment.

Fertility Preservation

Transgender and gender-diverse individuals should be counseled regarding the effects of gender-affirming therapy on fertility and reproduction prior to transition. Both administration of exogenous hormones and surgical management, including removal of reproductive organs such as the testes, ovaries, and/or uterus can affect fertility.

For example, gender-affirming testosterone therapy is used to induce the development of male physical characteristics (virilization) and suppress feminizing characteristics. Gender-affirming estrogen therapy is used to help feminize patients. Administration of exogenous hormones often suppress both ovulation and sperm development which can often, although not always, resume after discontinuation of hormonal treatment. Surgical treatments that remove the ovaries or testes result in permanent loss of fertility.

Currently, we offer a number of fertility preservation options, including egg, sperm, and embryo cryopreservation. Frozen eggs, sperm, and embryos can be thawed in the future and used for fertility treatments. 

Care Coordinator

• At the UCLA Gender Health Program, we understand the unique challenges that gender-diverse patients face when searching for health care. Providing personalized care involves collaboration between specialty physicians, which is why we have a Care Coordinator as the first point of contact. Our dedicated Care Coordinator provides our gender-diverse patients with assistance in navigating the UCLA Health system, specifically including:
  • Providing information about UCLA’s Gender Health Program.
  • Taking an initial intake assessment in order to understand each person’s health care needs and goals.
  • Ensuring patients are established with a primary care provider.
  • Coordinating referrals for gender-affirming surgeries.
  • Identifying appropriate providers and coordinating referrals for other supportive services.
  • Coordinating insurance and benefits coverage.
  • Advocacy within UCLA Health in all aspects of care.
  • Providing linkages to UCLA and community-based resources.