Reimagining Parenthood: Redefining Infertility to Celebrate Every Surrogacy Journey

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Nov 06, 2023, 08:15 ET

CHICAGO, Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ConceiveAbilities, a pioneering surrogacy agency committed to supporting all who aspire to build a family, applauds a groundbreaking development in the United States. The official definition of infertility has undergone a significant expansion, offering newfound hope and opportunities to a wider range of individuals, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community and among single parents.

Dr. Mark Leondires, Medical Director of Illume Fertility and Founder of Gay Parents To Be, shares his personal surrogacy journey as a gay dad.

ConceiveAbilities Founder Nazca Fontes, a passionate advocate for modern family-building, enthusiastically lauds the latest initiative by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). This move recognizes and caters to the unique needs of same-sex and single parent communities, marking a monumental step toward inclusivity in the field of reproductive health.

As Fontes states, "We have always believed everyone who wants to be a parent should be able to. Over our 27 year history, we have assisted hundreds of LGBTQ+ and single people achieve their dreams of parenthood. We wholeheartedly commend ASRM's latest development in recognizing the need to modernize the definition to include same-sex and single parent communities."

The inclusive and expanded description of infertility, issued just last week by ASRM, emphasizes "the need for medical intervention, including, but not limited to, the use of donor gametes or donor embryos in order to achieve a successful pregnancy either as an individual or with a partner." This fresh definition replaces the previous, more restrictive one that solely focused on heterosexual couples facing a year of unprotected intercourse without conception.

Surrogate Whitney Anderson says this change is a glimmer of hope for all LGBTQ+ families, saying, "I became a surrogate specifically to help an LGBTQ+ family and I am honored to help a transgender parent start their family. This new definition for infertility will allow more people to fulfill their dreams of parenthood."

The broadened definition opens doors for more same-sex couples and single individuals to access assisted reproductive technologies, marking a beacon of hope and opportunity. This change is particularly significant, given that some insurance plans rely on ASRM's definition of infertility to approve fertility treatments.

According to Dr. Mark Leondires, Medical Director of Illume Fertility and Founder of Gay Parents To Be, this is a significant step forward for the LGBTQ+ community. He states, "It is a personal passion of mine to help move the needle for the LGBTQ+ community to be able to have children who are an expression of somebody's love for their partner. As a gay dad myself, I understand how hard it is to get started on a surrogacy journey. This new definition of infertility makes it all the more possible."

The Future Is Now

"Every person, regardless of marital status or sexual preference, with the desire to become a parent should have equal access to the benefits and opportunities to safely and effectively build their family. Today's definition makes this a reality," details Gina-Marie Madow, Director of Legal Services for ConceiveAbilities.

This crucial decision is designed to offer vital support to same-sex couples and single individuals who have encountered barriers to their fertility treatment claims, marking a step toward a more inclusive and compassionate approach to reproductive health and family-building for all. ConceiveAbilities proudly supports and commends this progressive change.

Learn more about becoming a parent and becoming a surrogate with ConceiveAbilities.

ConceiveAbilities is proudly certified by the Family Equality Council as an official Open Door LGBTQ+ family building agency. With three decades of experience, ConceiveAbilities is a full-service surrogacy and egg donation agency that provides extensive support to all those who want to fulfill their destiny of parenthood.

SOURCE ConceiveAbilities