Pride Month 2022 – LGBTQ+ Parenting

Pride Month is dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities all around the world. We at Amber Family decided to start Pride Month by raising some awareness around the struggles some individuals in the LGBTQ+ community go through whilst beginning their own families.

The pathway to parenthood is never easy, especially when conceiving naturally is not possible, and for those who are part of a same sex couple, the journey can be even more challenging. Over the past few years, LGBTQ+ parenthood has been more publicly recognised and researched, showing numerous disparities relating to access to health and social care services, including gynaecological, fertility and pregnancy services.

When members of the LGBTQ+ community to want to become parents and can’t conceive naturally, they can do so through various other means, including through sperm or egg donation, adoption, foster care, surrogacy and more.

Whilst support around the options available has not always been provided, we are beginning to see some changes for the better. In 2021, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, publicly shared their ‘Gender Inclusion Policy in Maternity Care’, which gives clear guidance to professionals on how to care for LGBTQI+ service users. They are also offering specialist care to LGBTQI+ parents, as well as providing support and training to other medical professionals.

If you’d like any more information about LGBTQ+ parenting, or becoming a parent as someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, visit the NHS website – Having a baby if you are LGBT+ – NHS (www.nhs.uk)