In vitro fertilization (IVF) has long been an option for couples struggling with fertility, but it has not always been accessible for LGBTQIA+ families. An approach called reciprocal IVF is becoming increasingly available for same-sex female couples who want to share the biological process of reproduction. Also known as partner-assisted reproduction, this method gives each woman an active role in conception and pregnancy.
Reciprocal IVF is often associated with lesbian couples, but any pair of parents who can produce oocytes and carry a pregnancy — women, transgender men or nonbinary individuals — can benefit from this form of assisted reproduction.
How Reciprocal IVF Allows Same-Sex Couples to Share the Pregnancy Experience
This IVF method is just one of the many different types of fertility treatments available. In traditional IVF, clinicians retrieve a woman's oocytes, fertilize these with sperm, and then transfer the embryo(s) back into either her uterus or that of a surrogate. In reciprocal IVF, one partner, or biological parent, provides the oocytes. These are then fertilized with donor sperm and later the embryo(s) is transferred to the uterus of the second partner, or gestational parent, who carries the pregnancy and gives birth.
In some ways, this process isn't much different from IVF that uses donor eggs. What's different is that reciprocal IVF gives two female parents the ability to biologically and physically participate in conception and pregnancy. For same-sex couples in which neither partner has fertility concerns, reciprocal IVF allows for more flexibility: If the parents plan to have more than one child, they can switch roles for the next pregnancy so that each person has the opportunity to experience pregnancy and childbirth. Because reciprocal IVF requires both partners' menstrual cycles to be synchronized, it's also possible for them to be pregnant at the same time, using each other's oocytes fertilized by the same or different donor sperm.
Why 3D Ultrasound is the Technology of Choice for Reciprocal IVF Guidance
As with traditional IVF, ultrasound technology is an important tool in helping guide oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer in reciprocal IVF. The use of ultrasound helps ensure retrieval of the best oocytes and offer a better understanding of follicle size and volume; a diameter measurement of 12 to 19 millimeters is most likely to yield a mature oocyte, according to Frontiers in Endocrinology. Moreover, a study recently published in Ultrasound Imaging in Reproductive Medicine demonstrated that follicles with volumes greater than 0.7 cc were associated with mature oocytes. The researchers assert that this information could be helpful to decide the day of trigger.
Example of a Volume Acquisition of the Ovary using SonoAVCfollicle ™ – 3D Volume Technique that Automatically Counts and Measures Follicles
Ultrasound is also an important part of successful embryo transfer. Successful implantation after a transfer depends on several factors, including endometrial thickness and vascularity. The most effective tool for objectively measuring endometrial and subendometrial blood flow is color Doppler ultrasound.
Overall, ultrasound is a critical part of the IVF process, as well as essential for monitoring a pregnancy following embryo transfer.
An Increasingly Popular Approach
Reciprocal IVF is becoming increasingly accepted among practitioners and is recognized as a viable option for patients, particularly same-sex female couples who wish to share in the pregnancy experience. By embracing this technology, clinicians can improve their offerings and care for LGBTQIA+ patients.
