LGBTQ Family-Building

About the Program

The team at the Fertility Center at Massachusetts General Hospital is committed to providing inclusive fertility practices and family-building options that serve everyone’s needs.

Deciding to start your fertility journey can feel complicated—we are here to support you every step of the way by helping you choose and navigate a care option based on your unique needs and goals. We offer a range of individualized options for people who want to build a family, including donor sperm, donor eggs, reciprocal IVF, gestational carriers (surrogates) and fertility preservation during gender-affirming hormonal treatments or surgery. 

Care Options

What to Expect

Our offices ensure patients have unsurpassed privacy throughout their care journey. We offer consults, monitoring, teaching and evaluation procedures at our community practices in Waltham, Danvers and at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. IVF, egg retrieval, embryo transfer and other assisted reproductive technology services are done in one self-contained suite located on the 10th floor of the Yawkey Building for Outpatient Care, overlooking Beacon Hill in Boston. We work closely with other Mass General specialists—including urologists and obstetricians/gynecologists as needed—to provide the highest level of care for patients in a world-class medical center and one of the top gynecologic programs in the country.

Success, without compromising safety, is our number one priority. Fertility Center clinicians reduce the risks associated with multiple gestations by using techniques such as:

• Embryo cryopreservation (freezing and preserving human embryos)
• Single-embryo transfer (transferring one rather than multiple fertilized embryos to the uterus when most appropriate)

In short, we strive to do more with less. We listen, and we engage. This means individualizing your treatment plan based on your testing and with what you feel comfortable proceeding.

You may either request an appointment directly, or you may be referred to us by your obstetrician/gynecologist or primary care physician. At your first appointment, we will review your medical history, determine what tests need to be done prior to treatment and start to review the potential treatments that may pertain to you. Consultations are often done virtually; procedures and monitoring visits happen in person.

Throughout treatment, you will develop a personal relationship with your primary fertility physician, as well as the other Fertility Center providers, nurses and medical assistants on your team. You can receive your tests results, review visit notes and treatment plans, and communicate with your care team through Patient Gateway.

Patient Resources

We understand that treatments and the costs associated with them can impact your physical and emotional well-being. We are committed to helping you and your loved ones throughout the entire journey, and offer support through Mass General social workers, financial services personnel, support groups and more.

Fertility Center patient resources

The Latest Technologies

EngagedMD® is an educational platform that breaks down every aspect of testing and treatments in an easy-to-understand format. Given the breadth of information provided to you during treatment, you may find it helpful to review your treatment plans online at home following conversations with your care team to ensure you have all the knowledge you need to make informed decisions.

Virtual Visit is a web-based platform, similar to Skype® or Facetime®, that allows you to visit with your physician and nurse from your device. All you need for a virtual medical visit is access to a smartphone, tablet or personal computer with a camera and microphone; visits can also be coordinated via telephone.