Ask the Experts About LGBT Health
Q: Lesbian insemination
Hello! My doctor recommended I contact you. I am a married lesbian and my wife and I are going to attempt to get pregnant in the next few weeks, at home. My doctor has signed off on the Cryobank Sperm home delivery form but we aren't quite sure what to do with it after that! We are highly educated women in our mid 30's with absolutely NO idea what to do with sperm! I heard a turkey baster (ew.) doesn't have enough 'oomph' and friends of ours achieved pregnancy via syringe but, I wonder, does it clog? How big should the syringe be and where on earth can you buy a syringe? Any insight you can give to us on this would be so appreciated as our knowledge is, laughingly, limited.
A: Response from Dr. Raney
Thanks for your question. I ran it by my colleague, Liz Coolidge who heads up our Alternative Insemination Program. Here is her response, which I support.
Thanks and best wishes,
Pat Raney, MD
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I'm glad your doctor gave you access to sperm through California Cryobank, but access isn't enough! Home insemination is quite simple to do, since placing a syringe in your vagina is similar to using a tampon, but of course there is more to it than that. The most complex part is the timing: knowing when to inseminate.
Turkey basters were used in the 1980s, but they won't work with frozen sperm specimens, and syringes have replaced them. Syringes that will fit the frozen sperm vials (1 cc) are not easy to obtain except through medical sources. Some sperm banks include the syringes when they ship the sperm specimen. The New Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy & Birth by Stephanie Brill (Alyson Books, New York, 2006) has a description of how to do self insemination.
But by far the easiest and most thorough way to learn how to do self insemination is to come into Fenway for an AI consultation. As part of Fenway's Alternative Insemination Program, we offer an education consultation that teaches ovulation prediction, timing of the insemination, thawing of the frozen sperm specimen, and how to do the insemination at home. We also provide the syringes. Schedule an appointment for this by calling 617.927.6243.
I hope this is helpful, and good luck to you and your wife!
Liz Coolidge, LMHC, Coordinator LGBT Family and Parenting Services & Alternative Insemination Program at Fenway Health
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Forum Experts
 Harvey J. Makadon, MD is Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of Education and Training at The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health in Boston. He is a member of the Division of General Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is the lead editor of The Fenway Guide to LGBT Health, published by the American College of Physicians in 2007. He has long been involved in developing both educational and clinical programs to serve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender populations.  Patricia Raney, MD, is a staff physician at Fenway Health in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is Board Certified in Family Medicine. Her clinical interests include women's health and wellness, primary care, preventive care and the health concerns of lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people. On a more personal note, she is an avid stone carver. |
