What's New

Important News

There is important research being done regarding the correlation between Ibuprofen, Aspirin and miscarriage. Because these studies are relevant to women trying to conceive, we recommend you discuss any medications you are taking, even over the counter medications, with your medical providers.


Queers Making Babies Support Group
For queer, lesbian, bi, & trans people who have begun or are planning their insemination process for getting pregnant.

In this on-going group we:

* Support each other through this challenging and hopeful time
* Exchange resources about various methods of acquiring sperm, including sperm banks, known donors, & co-parenting
* Increase fertility awareness and strategies for conception
* Discuss various techniques, such as vaginal & intrauterine insemination, fertility treatments, & timing plans
* Enhance ability to cope with the mix of emotions that can be overwhelming or confusing
* Explore issues about parenting as LBTQ people
* Form connections with other queer parents-to-be

Singles and couples are welcome.
Group is limited to 7 participants.

WHEN: Thursday evenings, 7:10-8:45
WHERE: Berkeley
COST: $45 per session per person
(Sliding scale may be available)
CONTACT:
Laura Goldberger, MFT
(510) 665-7755
lauragoldberger@sbcglobal.net
for more information or to schedule a free initial meeting

The group is led by Laura Goldberger, MFT. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has worked with lesbian/queer/genderqueer/trans people, parents, couples, and children for over 14 years. Individual and couple therapy also available.

Newsletter

Check out our newsletter for what's happening at TSBC and in the world of donor insemination. The newsletter comes out quarterly.

TSBC in the News

Hear our Director of Research, Dr. Joanna Scheib on a podcast at Creating a Family about research on the Psychology of Donor Conceived Children. She discusses how they are doing and what parents can do to help. Link to 21 July 2010.
Creating a Family is an organization providing education and resources for infertility and adoption.

For research on adult offspring, listen to Dr. Scheib on a Choice Moms' podcast. She discusses what they want to know, and what concerns them. Link to 20 July 2008.
Choice Moms is an organization serving single women who proactively choose motherhood.

Our Executive Director, Alice Ruby can be heard on a podcast talking about what to look for when choosing a sperm bank.

She can also be heard as a panelist on Rona Renner RN - Radio Talk Show - the topic was “LGBT Parenting”. The panel will also include an adoption professional and 2 LGBT parents.
click here for more information

Check out the podcast with Maia Midwifery about in-home insemination also.

THE SPERM BANK OF CALIFORNIA was highlighted in a recent article in Curve Magazine

Conception & Parenting Resources: New and/or Invaluable Publications and Resources

DI Guide, by Jeff DeGroot at COLAGE, 2010. A comprehensive resource that is written both by and for individuals who are donor-conceived. A great resource too for parents, teachers, and medical professionals. Covers many difficult topics such as broaching the topic of your donor with your parents, approaching relationships with others who have the same sperm donor without excluding your own siblings, and more generally dealing with everyday challenges of answering the question 'who's your father?' Beautifully written, easy to read.

Access to fertility treatment by gays, lesbians, and unmarried persons position statement was revised recently by The Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (in press; published online 03 September 2009).
From the abstract:
This statement explores the implications of reproduction by single individuals, unmarried heterosexual couples, and gay and lesbian couples, and concludes that ethical arguments supporting denial of access to fertility services on the basis of marital status or sexual orientation cannot be justified.

Telling and Talking about Donor Conception: A Guide for Parents, by Olivia Montuschi, Donor Conception Network, UK, 2006. Four booklets designed to help parents decide whether and how to tell their children about their donor origins. Each booklet is geared toward a different age group, from birth to adulthood. Available from the Donor Conception Network in England or the Infertility Network in Canada.

How we became a family by using a sperm donor podcast, Families Ties, and other resources from the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority make it a great source of information for parents and families.

Abbie Goldberg's 2009 book, Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle, is an excellent resource for parents interested in up-to-date research on LG families.

For a focus on donor-conceived lesbian families specifically, see our Research Director's English version of Lesbian mothers and their donor-conceived children: Family processes, child development and long-term outcomes. In Funcke & Thorn's edited volume, Die Gleichgeschlechtliche Familie mit Kindern: Interdisziplinäre Beiträge zu einer Neuen Lebensform (Same-Sex Families: Interdisciplinary Perspectives). Expected August 2010.


Are you considering being a DI dad? A letter from Walter to would-be DI Dads can help you think through issues related to parenting through donor conception. Written by Walter Merricks, this letter is found among many of the excellent articles at the Donor Connection Network based in the UK.

Request for Research Participants

December 2009: GLBT-affirmative study on Same-Sex Parenting

The University of Memphis' GLBT Research Team is conducting a GLBT-affirmative study on Same-Sex Parenting, and we are looking for participants. The purpose of this study is to learn about the experiences of same-sex parents in relationship to legal parenting rights. We believe this research is important in advocating for parents to be fully recognized in their family role and to not be discriminated against in family concerns.

Participants must be 18 years or older, currently be in a relationship with the same-sex partner with whom they have planned and created a family, and have at least one child under the age of 18 living in their home. The study should take approximately 20 minutes to complete online and meets human subjects approval by our university Institutional Review Board.

Survey

Thank you for your consideration in supporting our advocacy for same-sex parents and their families.

Sharon Horne, Ph.D. & Heidi Levitt, Ph.D.
The University of Memphis
See our past research on the effects of
anti-GLBT amendments on GLBT individuals and their families.