Since our founding in 2002, Illume Fertility has helped queer couples, single parents by choice, and trans and non-binary patients become parents through IUI, IVF, donor conception, and surrogacy.
Our founder Dr. Mark Leondires built this practice with inclusivity in mind, partly because of his own lived experience: he and his husband welcomed their two children through egg donation and surrogacy.
Wherever you are on your journey, there's a path here for you.
Schedule Your ConsultFor gay couples and single men pursuing biological fatherhood, the path runs through gestational surrogacy. An embryo is created using sperm (from you, your partner, or a donor) and eggs from a donor, then carried by a gestational carrier who delivers your baby.
There are many moving parts involved, which is why working with an experienced team matters. After 2,000+ successful surrogacy journeys and caring for intended parents from more than 50 countries, we bring both expertise and empathy to the process.
Our in-house egg donor program allows you to find a donor without engaging another agency, and our Third Party Reproduction team expertly guides you through all medical aspects of surrogacy: genetic testing, donor selection, IVF, matching with the right gestational carrier, embryo transfer, and early pregnancy monitoring.
Explore Options for Dads-to-Be
Many couples begin with intrauterine insemination (IUI), where donor sperm is placed directly into the carrying partner's uterus around ovulation, and it is typically the least invasive starting point.
When IUI isn't the right fit, or when both partners wish to be biologically connected to their baby, reciprocal IVF makes that possible: one partner provides the eggs, and the other carries the pregnancy.
Your care team will help you match with the right sperm donor, navigate the treatment process, and build a plan around your health, your timeline, and how you both want to be part of the experience.
Explore Options for Moms-to-Be
We are proud to support single parents at Illume Fertility, and offer multiple pathways to fit a variety of goals and timelines.
If you're planning to carry the pregnancy, that usually means IUI or IVF with donor sperm. If you won't be carrying, the path typically involves IVF with donor eggs and a gestational carrier.
Not ready yet but want to keep your options open? Fertility preservation lets you freeze eggs or sperm now and decide later.
Choosing to parent on your own comes with its own set of considerations, from donor agreements to questions about what you'll tell your child, but you won't sort through any of it alone. Your patient navigator, nurse, doctor, and other team members will guide you with expertise and empathy from start to finish.
Explore Your Options
Whether you're planning to begin gender-affirming care, already taking hormones, or well into your transition, you have real options for biological parenthood at Illume.
The most direct route is fertility preservation before you begin gender-affirming hormone therapy or surgery, since freezing eggs or sperm beforehand keeps future options open.
Already on hormones? Preservation is still within reach. A medically supervised pause of roughly 3-6 months can be enough to retrieve eggs or sperm, and we coordinate directly with your other providers so that pause stays as short and well supported as possible.
When you're ready to build your family, IUI, IVF, reciprocal IVF, donor conception, and surrogacy are all available to you, with a care plan shaped around your body, hormone history, and goals. At Illume, you'll never have to explain yourself or wonder whether you belong here.
Explore Your Options
Once you have a sense of your pathway, here's a closer look at each treatment we offer.
For eight consecutive years, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has recognized Illume Fertility as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader, the highest designation awarded through its Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation's leading benchmark for LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare.
Illume is the only free-standing fertility center in the Northeast to hold HEI Leader designation. That commitment is reflected in every aspect of our patient experience, from inclusive forms and affirming language to deep expertise in donor conception and surrogacy.
When you walk through our doors, you won't have to explain your family before accessing the care and support you deserve.
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Finding a fertility clinic that truly understands LGBTQ+ family building changes everything.
From Pride events to LGBTQ+ advocacy and longstanding partnerships with GWK Academy, Family Equality, and Men Having Babies, we stay engaged year-round.
From our intake forms and signage to staff who complete regular LGBTQ+ competency training, every part of the experience is built to feel safe and welcoming.
With strong success rates across IUI, IVF, and surrogacy, and more than 24 years guiding LGBTQ+ families, we have the experience to help you build the family you're dreaming of.
Most LGBTQ+ journeys involve a donor or surrogate. Our specialized team manages everything from donor matching through agency coordination, so you always feel supported.
When you work with Illume, you gain access to a full range of resources and experts with decades of both personal and professional experience in LGBTQ+ family building.
Every path to parenthood is unique. Here are a few of the families who walked theirs with us.
For many LGBTQ+ patients, affording care is the most daunting part of the whole journey, whether because the path involves a donor or a gestational carrier, or because insurance hasn't kept pace with how queer families are built.
The good news: Connecticut and New York both have insurance mandates that can help, more employers are adding inclusive fertility benefits, and there are grants and financing options to fill the gaps.
Our financial coordinators walk through the details with each patient before treatment begins to avoid surprises later.
Often, yes. Both states have mandates requiring many fully insured plans to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, and recent updates have widened the definition of infertility in ways that help LGBTQ+ patients.
Coverage still varies by plan, employer, and pathway, since IUI, IVF, and surrogacy are treated differently. Our financial coordinators run a free benefits check before you start so you know exactly what your plan covers.
Which pathway is right for you depends on age, fertility testing, insurance coverage and budget, and whether you want to share the experience with a partner. Your Illume Care Team will provide personalized guidance to help you make this decision.
It depends on the pathway.
IUI is the least expensive option, IVF and reciprocal IVF cost more, and surrogacy is typically the largest investment because it involves agency fees, gestational carrier compensation, legal work, and medical care.
We regularly publish detailed guides like this cost breakdown for moms-to-be and our surrogacy cost guide, and our financial coordinators always share a personalized estimate after your initial consultation with an Illume physician.
Yes. Egg and sperm freezing are both effective, and they're most straightforward when completed before starting gender-affirming hormone therapy or surgery.
If you're already on hormones, a temporary medically supervised pause, usually three to six months, can usually restore fertility long enough to retrieve and cryopreserve eggs or sperm.
We always coordinate with your prescribing provider so this pause stays as short and well supported as possible.
Yes. Some LGBTQ+ patients choose to use a known donor, a friend or family member, as their sperm or egg source. While many assume that using a known donor is more affordable, it's important to recognize that known donor cycles involve added legal and psychological steps to protect everyone involved, which can add to your total cost.
Our specialized Third Party Reproduction Team manages the process from start to finish.
For IUI, many patients are able to start their first treatment cycle within 4-8 weeks of the consult, depending on fertility testing and donor coordination.
IVF and reciprocal IVF usually take 8-12 weeks minimum before reaching embryo transfer (the final step), sometimes longer if you're banking embryos first.
Surrogacy journeys typically take longer because of egg donor and gestational carrier matching, legal contracts, and other factors, often 12-18 months or more.
Your Illume Care Team will walk you through a personalized timeline and provide updates throughout your journey.
Tim & Steve, dads to Ben & Lucy
Explore treatment guides, success stories, and free downloads on our Learning Center.
Still not sure what's right for you? You don't need to have all the details figured out before you contact our team at Illume.
Schedule your first consultation today and we'll help you explore your available treatment options, verify any insurance benefits, and map your path to parenthood, at whatever pace feels right.
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