Love Is Love. Families Are Families.

At NYU Langone Fertility Center, we are dedicated to
helping individuals and couples achieve their dream of parenthood. We have helped thousands of families grow with our innovative technology, extensive selection of donors and compassionate care for each family.
We would love to help you.

World Class Outcomes undefined Exceptional Clinical Care

NYU Langone Fertility Center has been leading the way in New York City since we were founded, seeing the changes both social and technological, that have made modern family building possible for ALL people to achieve the dream of parenthood.

Your Dedicated Care Team

We value all families with an understanding of the love and commitment it takes to make one. At NYU Langone Fertility Center, your care team will include your physician, our donor tissue specialists, a genetic counselor, a psychologist, and several nurses, coordinators, medical and administrative assistants, all of whom are here to help you navigate every step of your journey to parenthood using donor eggs and/or sperm.

An Individualized Approach to Care

We recognize that our patients have a choice in care providers, and we are committed to providing compassionate, individualized, and cost-effective options for all LGBTQ+ families. Weundefinedre here to go at your pace and answer any questions you may have. Your family, your timeline. Weundefinedre ready when youundefinedre ready.

LGBTQ+ Fertility Options in New York City

We Embrace All Families

NYU Langone Fertility Center is proud to serve all members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. We are committed to providing all patients with quality medical care in a considerate and inclusive environment. We work alongside all patients and intended parents - straight, gay, married, unmarried, partnered or single - to translate the love they feel into the family they desire.

+175

Years of Experience within our Physician Team

+350

LGBTQ Patients Chose NYULFC

+400

Fresh or Frozen Egg Donors Available Now

+1,600

Families Created with the Help of Donor Eggs at NYULFC

LGBTQ Family Building.

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Fertility Solutions for All.

  • Set Up a Consultation to Understand Your Options

    We invite you to reserve an initial consultation with one of our fertility specialists, where we will conduct diagnostic testing to evaluate your fertility, along with your partnerundefineds (if applicable). Diagnostic testing will be individualized based upon your (and partnerundefineds) fertility potential, and may include bloodwork, an ultrasound, and/or a semen analysis, if appropriate. You will then work collaboratively with your physician to design a plan to meet your family-building goals. Throughout the process, you should feel confident youundefinedre working with a team that understands the unique nature of LGBTQ+ family building and gay parenting.

  • Collaborate with Your Care Team

    Building a family using donor eggs, donor sperm, or a gestational carrier introduces many variables, including the donor gamete selection process, legal and financial agreements, and the concept of future disclosure to offspring. Donundefinedt worryundefinedour team is here to help guide you through the process. Your dedicated care team will include your physician, our donor tissue specialists, a genetic counselor, a psychologist, and several nurses, coordinators, medical and administrative assistants, all of whom are here to help you navigate every step of your journey to parenthood using donor eggs and/or sperm.

  • Create the Right Embryos to Build Your Family

    Every path to parenthood is different, and LGBTQ family building is no exception. Whatundefineds the right pathway for your future family? Donor Sperm + Your Egg? Donor Sperm + Your Partnerundefineds Egg? Your Sperm + a Donor Egg? Your Partnerundefineds Sperm + a Donor Egg? Donor Eggs + Donor Sperm? Who will be carrying the pregnancyundefinedyou? Your Partner? A gestational carrier? The embryo creation and embryo transfer process will depend upon which options you select in partnership with your physician. Every family is uniqueundefinedthere is no undefinedOne-Size-Fits-Allundefined approach to family building.

Modern Family Building Options.

Testing undefined Wellness

At your initial consultation, you will discuss your current and future family building goals with a physician. You will receive prescreening lab work, including hormonal lab testing and ovarian and uterine evaluation (if appropriate), and you can schedule a semen analysis (if appropriate).

You may explore many different treatment paths with your physician: Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm, IUI, IVF, PGT, Gestational Carriers, the list goes on! Your physician will work with you to design a fertility plan that meets your needs.

Reserve a Consultation

Egg Freezing

Egg freezing provides a great option for future family building. If you are not ready to have children right nowundefinedbut may wish to do do in the future, or you are considering undergoing a medical procedure that may alter your reproductive system (ie. gender affirming surgery), or you have a medical condition that may put your reproductive health at risk (ie. chemotherapy), it may be worthwhile to consider preserving your eggs.

The egg freezing process begins with a consult to learn more about your fertility health. During your visit, an expert physician will meet with you to discuss your future fertility goals, and we will perform bloodwork and an ultrasound to evaluate your reproductive health. After your consult, if you decide that the time is right to freeze your eggs, youundefinedll collaborate with your physician to build a care plan custom-tailored to meet your fertility goals.

Around a month after the initial consultation, or when your targeted cycle starts, egg production will be stimulated with fertility medications. Frequent lab work and ultrasounds are done to monitor egg growth over the next 10undefined12 days. Then a final injection will be given to mature the eggs and prepare them for retrieval. Between 34-36 hours after the injection, the eggs will be retrieved under anesthesia. After the eggs are retrieved, our IVF laboratory will freeze and store them for your future use.

Reserve a Consultation Learn More: Health Screening

Sperm Freezing

Sperm freezing preserves sperm now for use later, giving patients the opportunity to build a family when the time is right.

Through a process called cryopreservation, you can preserve your sperm until needed for assisted reproductive procedures such as IVF (in vitro fertilization), IUI (intrauterine insemination), or sperm donation.

If you are considering undergoing a medical procedure that may alter your reproductive system (ie. gender affirming surgery) or put your reproductive health at risk (ie. chemotherapy), it may be a good idea to consider preserving your sperm.

Reserve a Consultation

Donor Sperm

Sperm donors may be known or anonymous. The type of donor one chooses is a highly personal decision, and will depend on any number of factors. Regardless of the type of donor chosen, various considerations and requirements apply. Options for building your family with help from donor sperm may include:

Using a Known Donor

Some patients may choose to ask a friend, relative, or other acquaintance to donate sperm. Because this option may raise sensitive questions and decisions in regards to parenting, a number of actions are required prior to receiving a sperm donation:

Counseling. NYU Langone Fertility Center requires that both parties involved in a known donation attend at least one session of counseling with our onsite psychologist, who is familiar with the issues that may arise in this type of arrangement.

Sperm Donor and Intended Parent Legal Agreement. Prior to insemination, the patient and donor must create a valid and notarized legal agreement or contract outlining parenting rights and responsibilities.

Using an Anonymous Donor

Patients who choose to use an anonymous sperm donor obtain frozen samples from licensed sperm banks, which must be located in the United States. NYU Langone Fertility Center does not own or operate a sperm bank, however our Donor Egg undefined Third Party Reproduction team will be happy to assist you in finding this resource.

Sperm banks can vary widely with regard to donor information, identity, ethnicity and medical history; as well as in the number of available donors. Most banks do not provide a picture of donors. Some sperm banks may have a provision for allowing future contact (release of identification) between adult donor sperm offspring and the donor. Some may allow identification in the case of a medical need.

Certified sperm banks must meet specific requirements for donor screening. In order to virtually eliminate the risk of disease transmission, sperm is quarantined. In this process, the donor is tested for infectious disease. Donated sperm is then frozen and held at the sperm bank for six months. The donor is re-tested for infectious diseases before sperm is provided to clinics and patients. Our patients may choose most any certified sperm bank. Patients are responsible for selecting the given donor and paying the sperm bank directly for the sperm and shipping.

Reserve a Consultation

Donor Sperm Insemination

Donor insemination (DI) is the process of inseminating a woman with sperm obtained from a known or anonymous donor. The procedure is often performed in natural cycles without the use of any fertility medications. However, fertility medication may be recommended for women in their late 30undefineds or older, and/or for those who have been unsuccessful with donor insemination in natural cycles, in order to increase the number of eggs for possible fertilization.

If insemination with donor sperm is unsuccessful, or if there are other fertility factors that indicate the need, in vitro fertilization (IVF) with donor sperm may be performed.

Reserve a Consultation

Frozen Donor Eggs

Frozen donor eggs offer advantages with regard to ease of scheduling, speed in completing a cycle, and cost (approximately 50% lower than a fresh egg donation cycle).

With frozen donor eggs, you can start a cycle right away. Thatundefineds because when you use frozen donor eggs, you donundefinedt need to synchronize your cycle with the donor. You can complete treatment within 6 to 8 weeks, compared with 3 to 6 months for a fresh cycle.

With technology thatundefineds available today, frozen donor egg pregnancy success rates are comparable to those achieved with fresh donor eggs.

NYU Langone Fertility Center has partnered with both MyEggBank and Fairfax Egg Bank to provide our patients with access to the largest frozen donor egg networks in the world.

MyEggBank Fairfax EggBank

Fresh Donor Eggs

We are proud to offer our patients the opportunity to select a donor through the NYU Egg Donor Program for a synchronous fresh egg donation cycle. Fresh donor egg cycles often offer advantages with regard to the number of eggs available for embryo creation, which can be particularly impactful for families with a strong desire to create multiple embryos for PGT-A or PGT-M testing, or for those seeking to build a family with multiple genetic sibling(s) from the same egg donor.

To learn more about coordinating a fresh egg donation cycle through the NYU Egg Donor Program, please contact our Donor Coordinator, Alyssa Vargas, via phone at 212-263-0011 or via email at [email protected].

Choosing an Egg Donor

We understand that the decision to build your family with the help of an egg donor is both an emotional and a medical journey. At NYU Langone Fertility Center, we maintain the highest level of discretion and support for both patients and donors. Our dedicated in-house Donor Egg team assists patients, locally and internationally, with the selection of the right egg donor for each family.

When it comes to donor egg services, you have options. In a undefinedfresh egg donation cycle,undefined a pre-screened and approved egg donor is stimulated here at NYU Langone Fertility Center. Once the egg retrieval procedure is complete, the donor eggs are immediately fertilized with sperm from the intended parent or sperm donor.

This is different from a undefinedfrozen egg donation cycle,undefined where frozen eggs from a pre-screened, approved egg donor are thawed at NYU Langone Fertility Center, then fertilized with sperm from the intended parent or sperm donor. In a frozen egg donation cycle, the frozen eggs may be from a donor stimulated here at NYU Langone Fertility Center, or from a donor available through one of our egg bank partners: MyEggBank or Fairfax Egg Bank.

Whether your choose to pursue a fresh or frozen egg donation cycle, our Donor Egg team will work with you to identify the best fit for your family. We provide our patients with detailed information about each donor, including the medical, social, and family history, results of the donorundefineds psychological and genetic screenings, and donor photographs. Our donors are from all ethnicities, with varying physical characteristics, educational backgrounds and creative talents.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

In the course of a natural menstrual cycle, the brain produces hormones that stimulate one of the ovaries to release an egg. During an ovulation induction cycle, you are prescribed those same hormones, known as fertility medications, to stimulate the ovaries to mature numerous eggs at once. If more eggs are matured, more can be retrieved and used to create embryos. Most often, this improves the chances of fertilization, and ultimately pregnancy.

Around a month after the initial consultation, or when your targeted cycle starts, egg production will be stimulated with fertility medications. Frequent lab work and ultrasounds are done to monitor egg growth over the next 10undefined12 days. Then a final injection will be given to mature the eggs and prepare them for retrieval. Between 34-36 hours after the injection, the eggs will be retrieved under anesthesia. After the eggs are retrieved, they are evaluated; about three-quarters are generally considered mature enough for fertilization.

Approximately 18 hours after the egg and sperm were combined in the incubator, the embryology team evaluates the successful fertilization of each mature egg. If fertilization has indeed occurred, the embryology team monitors embryo development for an additional 2-4 days to assess embryo morphology (the shape and appearance of cells within the embryo).

There are two types of embryo transfer: fresh or frozen. In a fresh embryo transfer cycle, an embryo is transferred to the uterus after 3-5 days of observation in the embryology laboratory, and any additional embryos are frozen for future use. In a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle, all embryos are frozen after 3-5 days of development in the laboratory. If you wish to perform preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), embryos will be biopsied, then frozen while a culture of cells is sent to the genetic testing lab for analysis. Whether you proceed with a fresh embryo transfer or an FET, the embryo transfer process itself is very simple, and rarely requires sedation or anesthesia.

Reserve a Consultation Learn More About IVF

Reciprocal IVF (undefinedCo-Maternityundefined)

Reciprocal IVF is a process through which one partner acts as the egg donor, and the other partner acts as the gestational carrier.

In a reciprocal IVF cycle, we can stimulate one partner to produce eggs, as per our standard IVF process. Once the eggs are retrieved from the egg-donating partner, they can be combined with donor sperm to create embryos.

While the egg-donating partner completes the egg stimulation and retrieval process, we can prepare the gestating partnerundefineds uterus to receive an embryo. The gestating partner will take Lupron, estrogen, and progesterone to suppress her own ovulation process and prepare the uterus for embryo transfer. Once the embryo is transferred, the gestating partner can carry the pregnancy, give birth, and breast feed the baby.

Reserve a Consultation

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

In most cases at NYU Langone Fertility Center, sperm are combined with the eggs and fertilization occurs naturally. In situations where low sperm count or low sperm motility (movement) is a factor, a single sperm is injected directly into each mature egg in a process called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

In standard (non-ICSI) IVF, about 50,000 sperm are added to each egg in a petri dish, allowing the sperm to penetrate the eggs undefinednaturally.undefined In cases where the sperm are unable to fertilize the egg on their own, the embryologist can employ ICSI to inject the sperm directly into the egg. If a sperm sample is considered undefinedborderline,undefined some eggs may be injected while others are given the chance to fertilize naturally in the petri dish.

In cases that require ICSI, a male partner provides a sperm sample, then an embryologist analyzes the sample and isolates the strongest and best swimming (motile) sperm to be used for insemination. To perform ICSI, each egg is held by gentle suction in a glass pipette, and a single sperm is injected through the zona (shell) of the egg using a tiny, glass microneedle. The sperm is deposited deep into the innermost part of the egg (cytoplasm) and the needle is withdrawn.

Embryo Cryopreservation

Whether you pursue a fresh or a frozen egg donation, you will have the option to cryopreserve (undefinedfreezeundefined) any embryos created during your cycle. You may wish to freeze embryos to enable biopsy for PGT-A or PGT-M testing for chromosomal abnormalities, or you may simply need to freeze additional embryos created during your cycle for future single embryo transfer during a subsequent cycle.

The cryopreservation of embryos begins with undefinedvitrificationundefined or undefinedfreezing.undefined Vitrification is an ultra-rapid freezing process performed in our embryology laboratory, wherein the embryo is rapidly cooled to subzero temperatures. This rapid cooling process prevents the formation of ice crystals, which can cause cell damage.

The process of vitrification has three critical components. First, embryos are exposed to high concentrations of cryoprotectants to allow rapid dehydration of cells. Second, the eggs or embryos are loaded into tiny storage devices (usually straws) that will facilitate ultra-rapid cooling. Third, the straws containing the eggs/embryos are cooled as fast as possible, typically at thousands of degrees per minute.

In practice, this means that eggs and embryos are vitrified very quickly in the laboratory. A typical embryo vitrification protocol is complete in about 10 minutes. Embryos are removed from the incubator in the laboratory and exposed to an equilibration solution for 8 minutes to begin the dehydration process. After 8 minutes in equilibration solution, the embryos are moved into a vitrification solution for 60 seconds. Then, they are quickly loaded into straws and plunged into liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196undefinedC. The tiny straw will cool from room temperature (about 25undefinedC) to -196undefinedC in two to three seconds, giving a cooling rate of 4420-6630undefinedC per minute.

This high cooling rate, combined with the use of of cryoprotectants, allows the contents of the straw (embryos plus surrounding fluid) to turn into a glass-like substance instead of ice. Avoiding ice formation in this way successfully protects the embryos from damage and allows them to be warmed later, delivering embryo survival rates consistently above 90%.

When our patients return to use their vitrified embryos, the vitrification procedure described above is reversed to allow warming back to room temperature for rehydration. The procedure undefinedwarmsundefined the tissue in just 20 minutes, and it is placed back in the incubator at 37undefinedC in the laboratory. Embryos can be transferred back to the uterus immediately.

Surrogacy undefined Gestational Carriers

If you are unable to carry a pregnancy for any reason, the NYU Langone Fertility Center can work with you to identify a gestational surrogate to carry your baby.

A gestational surrogate is a woman who agrees to become pregnant by receiving an embryo transfer from an individual or couple who created an embryo using their own gametes (undefinedautologous IVFundefined), donor eggs, donor sperm, or some combination of autologous and donor tissue.

Prior to any embryo transfer into a gestational surrogate, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates extensive screening for both the sperm and egg source, involving a questionnaire, physical exam, and blood tests. The gestational surrogate must also pass a physical and psychological examination.

To learn more about coordinating a gestational surrogacy cycle, please contact our Third Party Coordinator, Alyssa Vargas, via phone via phone at 212-263-0011 or via email at [email protected].

Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)

Following ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients have two options: a fresh embryo transfer, which takes place after 5 days of embryo development, or a frozen embryo transfer (FET), which takes place at the patientundefineds convenience during the appropriate time in the patientundefineds menstrual cycle. Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) is a relatively simple procedure in which a previously frozen embryo is thawed and inserted into a uterus using a catheter. In most cases, medication will be prescribed for 2-3 weeks prior to transfer and may be continued for several weeks post-transfer. Patients who choose to perform preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) will be candidates for frozen embryo transfer.

Learn More: FET

Donor Egg undefined Third Party Reproduction Team

At NYU Langone Fertility Center, your care team will include your physician, our Donor Egg undefined Third Party Reproduction specialists, an onsite psychologist, and nurses, coordinators, medical and administrative assistants, all of whom are here to help you navigate every step of your journey to parenthood using donor eggs and/or sperm.

  • Dr. Elizabeth Fino is the Director of the Donor Egg/Third Party Reproduction at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
  • Our dedicated team of Donor Egg support specialists includes:
      • Andria Besser, Genetic Counselor
      • Aleksandra Kostyra, RN, Donor Egg Program
      • Dr. Shelley S. Lee, PhD, Psychologist
      • Caroline McCaffrey, Lab Director
      • Nancy McGeoff, RN, Donor Egg Program
      • Jean Ann McKiernan, RN, Donor Egg Program
      • Dr. Mindy R. Schiffman, PhD, Psychologist
      • Alyssa Vargas, Donor Coordinator
      • Sylvia Wadowiec, Medical Secretary, Donor Gamete undefined Genetics
Reserve a Consultation
  • Testing & Wellness
  • Egg Freezing
  • Sperm Freezing
  • Donor Sperm
  • Donor Sperm Insemination
  • Frozen Donor Eggs
  • Fresh Donor Eggs
  • Choosing an Egg Donor
  • In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
  • Reciprocal IVF ("Co-Maternity")
  • Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
  • Embryo Cryopreservation
  • Surrogacy & Gestational Carriers
  • Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
  • Donor Egg & Third Party Reproduction Team
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NYULFC LGBTQ Family

The doctors and nurses weundefinedve been working with have been amazing in cultivating mindfulness and understanding.

They answer all our questions (and there are a lot of them), but theyundefinedre able to do it without being overwhelming. There are so many steps in this processundefineditundefineds incredibly comforting to have such a genuinely supportive team helping us build our family.
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NYULFC LGBTQ Patient

The team gave us two precious gifts: our twins.

There will never be words to express the love and care that was shown to us. Being part of the LGBTQ community, sometimes the journey to parenthood can be quite difficult. This team showed us love that can never be expressed completely. We adore you all!

Finances Won’t Stand in Your Way.

Donor Program Fees

The self-pay fees for patients building their families with the use of donor sperm begin at $450. This does not include the purchase or transport of donor sperm.

The self-pay fees for patients building their families with the use of donor eggs begin at $9,650. This does not include donor stimulation, donor compensation, or any agency fees.

NYU Langone Fertility Center is committed to helping you navigate all financial aspects of fertility treatment. We offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art infertility treatment at competitive rates, and our team works together with you to evaluate your payment options, including insurance coverage and/or patient financing programs to cover your care.

Visit our Fertility Financing page to learn more.

Navigating Fertility Financing

Still Have Questions?

Questions? Concerns? Ready to get started? Reach outundefinedweundefinedre here for you.

Weundefinedre here to go at your pace and answer any questions you have.

1 (212)-263-8990

Contact Us

Fertility FAQ

Check out our Frequently Asked Questionsundefinedsubmitted by hundreds of patients over 25+ yearsundefinedto learn more about fertility care at NYU Langone Fertility Center.

View FAQs