Dr. Stephanie Singleton Discusses Fertility for Same Sex Couples

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Dec. 15, 2014 - PRLog -- Dr. Stephanie Singleton of The Fertility Center of Charleston appeared on WCIV ABC News 4 to discuss fertility and same sex couples.   She was joined by former patients, a same sex couple, along with their baby girl. The female patients credited The Fertility Center of Charleston physician, Dr. Stephanie Singleton,  and her staff for making them feel that their experience was a natural one.  Same sex marriage is now legal in South Carolina, and this could cause a spike in the number of same sex couples wanting to start a family.  Here is a link to the story:

http://www.abcnews4.com/clip/10944612/local-same-sex-couple-talks-about-trials-of-starting-a-family

 The Fertility Center of Charleston believes it is every couples’ right to build their own family. They understand that families come in many different forms and are here to help patients understand their options and provide them with all of the resources needed to start a family.

LGBT couples experience some of the same issues that heterosexual couples face such as sperm quality, egg quality, issues related to age and overall reproductive health. Therefore, Dr. Singleton (http://www.fertilitycharleston.com/our-team/our-staff/?se...) will speak with the patients about recommendations for evaluations before they invest in treatment options.

Depending upon age and reproductive health, patients may choose to begin with a less invasive, more natural approach or to begin treatment using Ovulation Induction with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or Artificial Insemination via Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).

The Fertility Center of Charleston (FCOC) is the clinic of choice for families of all kinds across the Southeast. Several opportunities exist at FCOC to help single patients as well as lesbian and gay couples to grow the families of their dreams.

Single women and lesbian couples may consider the use of intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) for family growth. For gay couples, a gestational carrier (i.e. a woman who gives birth to a baby for another individual or couple) and an egg donor are necessary.

Dr. Stephanie Singleton and her team of fertility specialists will assist  in every step of the family building journey, from financial planning and support groups to your positive pregnancy test. Many of the same sex couples have agreed to speak to interested LGBT men and women about their experience.

Learning as much as possible about the different options is the first step toward starting a family. At The Fertility Center of Charleston is dedicated to helping patients experience the joy of parenthood.  Here is a description of some of the available treatments.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) with Donor Sperm
Lesbian couples or single females with viable eggs can get pregnant with donor sperm from a sperm bank or known donor.

In-vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In-vitro fertilization means that the combination of sperm and egg happens in the embryology lab (outside of the body). Embryos or an embryo are then transferred into the uterus for a continuing pregnancy.

Reciprocal IVF appeals to lesbian couples that wish to share in the miracle of pregnancy. One female partner donates her eggs. The embryologist fertilizes the egg(s) in our advanced laboratory with donor sperm. The embryo(s) that are created are then transferred into the uterus of the other female partner. This unique method allows both lesbian partners to actively be a part of the creation of their pregnancy.

IVF with donor eggs gives women with ovulatory dysfunction, premature menopause or advanced maternal age the chance to have a biological child.

IVF with donor sperm completes the circle of life for lesbian couples, or gay men with male infertility to overcome.

Gestational Carriers
Gestational carriers can be used to help gay couples by carrying a pregnancy created from donor eggs to term.

The Fertility Center of Charleston's Dr. Stephanie Singleton and her staff compassionately guide each patient to parenthood using the latest advanced reproductive technologies including IVF (http://www.fertilitycharleston.com/our-services/in-vitro-...). The Fertility Center of Charleston has locations in Mt. Pleasant (http://www.fertilitycharleston.com/contact-us/mt-pleasant/) & Savannah (http://www.fertilitycharleston.com/contact-us/savannah/).