Gender reassignment and assisted reproduction - Present and future reproductive options for transsexual people

Transsexual people who want transition to their desired gender have to unde rgo hormonal and surgical treatments, which lead to irreversible loss of th eir reproductive potential. This paper argues that transsexual people shoul d be offered the same options as any person that risks losing their germ ce lls because of treatment for a malignant disease. Indeed, transsexual women (male-to-female transsexual patients) may be given the option to store spe rmatozoa before they start hormonal therapy, so that their gametes may be u sed in future relationships. This may be especially important for the many transsexual women who identify as lesbians after their transition. Converse ly, transsexual men (female-to-male transsexual patients) may be offered st orage of oocytes or ovarian tissue, possibly obtained at the time of their oophorectomy, Current technology offers transsexual people the possibility to obtain children who are genetically their own in their future relationsh ips and the option of gamete banking should therefore be discussed before s tarting hormonal and surgical reassignment treatment. This is particularly important for transsexual people who are diagnosed and treated at a young a ge.