PureOvum is extremely proud to provide LGBTQ+ family building with egg donation — and the resources and support needed to achieve one’s dream of parenthood.

Denoted as the top egg donor collective in California, PureOvum is an agency where diversity is reflected in our next-generation program and personalized, physician-driven sense of hospitality.

Diversity not only defines your identity, it’s the beating heart of our program. We are one of the few egg donor agencies in the United States where anyone can feel welcome — and are.

PureOvum egg donor agency in Southern California offers fresh donor egg options. Fertility Specialists Medical Group (FSMG) is experienced in counseling couples and individuals within the LGBTQ community on their options for starting a family.

LGBTQ Couples and Individuals

Our approach to reproductive care is to have personal, one-on-one conversations of a supportive and educational nature with each individual about the medical and emotional factors involved in treatment.

Because of the various options regarding gamete (eggs and sperm) sources, ability or desire to carry a pregnancy, and desires to play a biologic role that may exist for LGBTQ+ couples and individuals, the type of assisted reproductive technology available will vary.

But it can include intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), recipient of partner’s eggs (ROPE) and the use of non-identified or identified donor eggs, sperm or embryos.

We also provide references for psychologic and legal professionals with expertise in third-party reproduction for all our LGBTQ+ patients seeking parenthood through our fertility treatments and services. San Diego’s top fertility specialists believe everyone should be educated about their legal rights as a parent, including possible issues of parenting rights.

Gay Male Singles and Couples

An egg donor will need to be selected for a fresh-cycle donation, in which an egg donor goes through IVF specifically for the couple or individual, or they may choose to use frozen donor eggs that have previously been collected and are cryopreserved in an egg bank.

Donor testing is completed by guidelines set forth by the FDA regarding infectious disease testing. A gestational carrier is necessary to carry the pregnancy. The gestational carrier can be a family member or friend of the couple or found through a gestational carrier agency.

If a couple is building a family, they may choose to use sperm from one or both individuals to create embryos. If they choose to use both sperm sources, then which embryos will be transferred can be reviewed to optimize the couple’s reproductive goals.

Lesbian Couples

For lesbian couples, one partner may choose to donate the egg and the other partner will carry the pregnancy. For this option, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is necessary, as the partner donating the egg would be stimulated with hormones and have her eggs harvested and fertilized and then transferred into her partner’s uterus to carry the pregnancy.

Sperm donation is used to fertilize the eggs. Occasionally some lesbian couples need to use donor eggs to conceive due to the absence of ovaries or the inability of the ovaries to produce viable eggs in both women. Donors may include sisters or other family members, friends or non-identified donors.

Sperm Donation for Lesbian Couples

Most couples choose a non-identified donor (previously termed “anonymous”) through a sperm bank. All sperm banks are required to follow specific guidelines set forth by the FDA regarding infectious disease testing. Banks can vary significantly regarding the information they give on donor background, health history, physical characteristics, pregnancy history and genetic screening.

ROPE (Reciprocal IVF)

If both partners would like to be involved in the pregnancy, they can consider reciprocal IVF, which we call recipient of partner’s eggs (ROPE). In this procedure, one partner provides the eggs to be fertilized via IVF and the other has the resulting embryo(s) implanted in her uterus to carry the pregnancy.

Options for Transgender Individuals

Transgender, intersex, and asexual couples and individuals may need third-party reproductive assistance to become parents.

Our team will identify personalized needs and wishes for patients to develop an appropriate LGBTQ+ family building with egg donation program — including physicians who are experienced and well-versed regarding options at various stages of transitioning.

We will work with individuals and couples to address their reproductive wishes while still respecting their goals.