Gay men choosing parenthood through assisted reproduction: medical and psychosocial considerations
<h3>Objective</h3> To medically and psychologically assess gay men seeking parenthood through assisted reproduction and to provide guidelines for the assessment. <h3>Design</h3> Qualitative observational study. <h3>Setting</h3> Academic medical center. <h3>Patient(s)</h3> Thirty gay males (15 couples) presenting for assisted reproduction using an oocyte donor and a gestational carrier. <h3>Intervention(s)</h3> Semistructured interview and medical evaluation. <h3>Main Outcome Measure(s)</h3> Determination of psychological and medical eligibility for treatment. <h3>Result(s)</h3> The average age of men was 38.4 years. All couples were in a committed relationship and had been together for an average 6.4 years. All met medical and psychological criteria for acceptance. <h3>Conclusion(s)</h3> Gay men increasingly choose fatherhood through assisted reproduction. Counseling these couples on the medical and emotional demands of in vitro fertilization with a gestational carrier and an oocyte donor is a vital component of pretreatment preparation.