In the last 20 years, not only have more people accessed treatments to have a baby — a change driven by the strength of the LGBTQ+ movement — but more women also seek egg freezing for future fertility planning. As a fertility specialist working in Buenos Aires for nearly two decades, I have witnessed a profound transformation in my profession.
In the Beginning, Only Heterosexual Couples
After completing my residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2003, my patients were primarily women with male partners seeking to conceive. Following my fellowship in Reproductive Medicine in 2005, I worked as an “infertility specialist,” treating couples with 12 or more months of unsuccessful conception attempts. The clinic labeled embryo transfer materials with both partners’ names — typically married heterosexual couples.
The following decade brought dramatic shifts. The woman-man conception scenario became just one of many possibilities.
Single Women Gain More Choices
In the second decade of the 21st century, single women could pursue assisted reproduction with donor sperm, or egg freezing for fertility preservation. The approval of vitrification in 2012 made egg freezing more accessible and effective. These options empowered women to postpone motherhood without feeling pressured to rush, enabling them to choose timing that felt right for their lives.
Lesbian Couples Access New Alternatives
This decade saw significant fertility advances for LGBTQ+ individuals. Lesbian couples increasingly visited fertility clinics, reflecting broader societal progress. Clinics began offering ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner), allowing both women to participate — one providing eggs and the other carrying the pregnancy, or vice versa. This deeply inclusive option became one of the most requested procedures we offer.
Single Men and Gay Couples Find Their Path
Single men and gay couples now have real fertility options too. Using donor eggs, many men have consulted us and made their dream of parenthood come true.
My professional identity has shifted from “infertility doctor” treating couples with conception difficulties to “fertility specialist” helping diverse individuals achieve parenthood through multiple pathways.
Today, fertility medicine is truly for everyone. Whether you are a single woman, a same-sex couple, a single man, or a heterosexual couple facing biological challenges — our role is to meet you where you are and help you build the family you envision.
