Reconceiving Conception: Experiences of Lesbian Couples using RIVF

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of three lesbian couples who used reciprocal in vitro fertilization (RIVF) to build their families. Semi-structured interviews provided the primary data, which was analyzed using the Listening Guide (LG) method. Although numerous voices emerged for each individual and within each couple, all informants, in one or more voices, expressed the relative incomprehensibility of the RIVF experience. They all explored these feelings and metabolized them enough to complete the RIVF process and build their families. However, it would not be accurate to claim that participants had fully metabolized or comprehended their conception process, because feelings of discomfort and “weirdness” persisted even after their primary goal was achieved. Additional shared themes included their varied experience of fertility clinics; sperm donor selection; and navigating the reactions of others. Although the results of this study are not generalizable to all lesbian couples who build their family through RIVF, it was evident that LGBTQ+ couples utilizing RIVF need new ideas and new theories to sufficiently conceive of their own conception. A bedrock of new narratives could provide the foundation for theories that understand the nuanced and complex psychological lives of contemporary LGBTQ+ families.