Why This Couple Wants to Raise Awareness of Trans Fertility

When Benjamin Carmichael and Becca met doing advocacy work for Planned Parenthood in New England in 2018, they never imagined that months later, they'd match on Tinder, get engaged to marry exactly three years to the day, and set out to have children together. But both have always known that they wanted to become parents. 

For any couple, this chapter of trying to have a baby can be exciting and overwhelming; but for Benjamin and Becca, it's heightened by the fact that Benjamin is a trans man who has had to come off testosterone and inject multiple hormones in order to retrieve eggs for the possibility of having a baby. 

Even though Benjamin and Becca are hardly the first couple in the LGBTQ+ community to undergo fertility treatments, it's still largely misunderstood by some health care providers and networks and insurance carriers. In fact, much of Becca's work now has been to explore the experience of trans people in healthcare settings. And in addition to personally navigating Modern Family building, both seek to create positive change for others in the LGBTQ+ community who face discrimination or disparities here.  

As a member of the Transgender Educational Network, and a longtime advocate for LGBTQ visibility and rights, it's perhaps no surprise that Benjamin has used his social media platform to shine a light on fertility from his point of view. And this is ultimately what this episode is about. 

“Why This Couple Wants to Raise Awareness of Trans Fertility” is in honor of Pregnantish Pride, where we share fertility stories in the LGBTQ community and show the many diverse ways families today are created. For more, visit pregnantish.com/lgbt

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