Lesbian Couples Seeking Pregnancy With Donor Insemination

S. S. is a healthy, 29-year-old nulligravida who comes to the clinic with her female partner, M. S., seeking advice on becoming pregnant through the use of donor sperm from a cryobank. S. S. has been charting her fertility signs for 3 months, and both she and her partner are very excited about the prospect of becoming parents. They have done some research into donor sperm, but have questions about the different types of donor sperm available, whether to pursue intracervical or intrauterine insemination, and if the insemination should be done at home or in the clinic. They report that they have been to an obstetrician-gynecologist seeking care. The physician was unfamiliar with donor insemination and referred them to a fertility clinic for preconception counseling. The physicians at the fertility clinic recommended that the couple pursue pregnancy using ultrasound to detect follicle growth, followed by a human chorionic gonadotropin trigger shot and then intrauterine insemination in the clinic 24 hours later. The couple felt that these interventions were unnecessary at this point, because they did not have a known fertility problem.