Answers to Fertility Request

Abstract

Human reproduction has the fundamental role of allowing survival and evolution of the spices. Contrarily to what happens for other species, for human beings alongside biological pushes there are also unique emotional factors related to the fulfilment of the wish for parenthood. The condition of infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child after 2 years of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, and it is estimated that if affects about 12–15 % of the total of couples in reproductive age throughout the world. It can be thus considered a social issue. In the transsexual couple, infertility or sterility are not necessarily secondary to a pathology: they are the direct consequence of the medical surgical course of transition. At present the methods of ART (Assisted reproductive technology) comprise a serial of medical treatment that can provide a solution for many kinds of infertility. The diverse techniques of which the transsexual couple could benefit depend on several factors including the kind and grade of modification of sexual traits and health condition of the partner. This paper offers an overview on the medical treatments (including hormone and surgical therapy) and on the technologies (as cryopreservation) available for fertility requests made by transsexual people. In conclusion, it is highlighted the fact that transsexual identification per se does not make people unsuitable to parenthood. Besides, notwithstanding the ethic debate, there is no evidence that children born to and raised by transgender parents suffer in such a way that would give good reason for excluding transgender people from ARTs.