How Same-Sex Male Couples Can Build a Family Through Surrogacy and Egg Donation in Brazil

Two men who want to become fathers often face a simple frustration: biology was never designed to make it easy, but that does not mean it is out of reach. Between egg donation, gestational surrogacy, and the right medical team, same-sex male couples now have a clear and proven path to parenthood.

At Chedid Grieco, we have spent 30 years helping intended parents from around the world build the families they have always wanted, and we are proud supporters of LGBTQI+ families. Our female-led team in São Paulo, Brazil brings together advanced reproductive technology with the kind of boutique, customized care that treats every couple’s situation as unique.

What Surrogacy and Egg Donation Actually Involve

Building a family this way combines two separate processes that work together. First, an egg donor provides the eggs that will be fertilized, usually with sperm from one or both partners, to create embryos through in vitro fertilization. Those embryos are then transferred to a gestational surrogate, who carries the pregnancy but has no genetic connection to the child.

This route lets same-sex male couples have a biological connection to their child while relying on a surrogate for the pregnancy itself. Research published through the National Institutes of Health has found that intended fathers using egg donation and a gestational carrier are successful at achieving a live birth, a reassuring data point for couples just starting to explore their options. We walk couples through every stage of this process, from selecting a donor to legal documentation to the eventual birth of their child.

Why More Couples Are Choosing Brazil

Brazil has become an increasingly popular destination for cross-border fertility treatment, and for good reason. Our laboratory is regulated under Brazilian law and holds both FDA and NY State Department of Health licensing, credentials that matter for couples returning to the United States with their child. We are also one of just eight countries outside the U.S. with a New York tissue license, which reflects the rigor of our screening and lab standards.

Cost is another major factor. Treatment abroad often comes at a lower price point than comparable care in the United States, without cutting corners on quality or safety. Same-sex male couples also benefit from working with a team that has years of direct experience supporting LGBTQI+ family building, rather than adapting a program built with a different type of patient in mind.

What to Expect From the Process

Every couple’s plan looks a little different depending on whose sperm will be used, whether known or anonymous donation is preferred, and how many embryos the couple wants to create. That said, most journeys through our program follow a similar general shape.

• Consultation: Meet with our team to discuss goals, medical history, and the overall plan for donor and surrogate selection.
• Donor selection: Review profiles of screened egg donors and choose a match based on medical, physical, and personal criteria.
• Fertilization and embryo creation: Create embryos through IVF using donor eggs and partner sperm, then monitor development before transfer.
• Surrogate matching and transfer: Match with a screened gestational surrogate and transfer the embryo for pregnancy.
• Pregnancy and birth: Stay connected throughout the pregnancy, with legal and logistical support as delivery approaches.

Each of these stages comes with its own paperwork, timelines, and decisions, which is exactly why having an experienced team beside you can make the process feel far less overwhelming.

Legal Considerations for Same-Sex Male Couples

Surrogacy and parentage laws vary widely depending on where you live, and this matters more for same-sex male couples than almost any other group pursuing fertility treatment. Brazil regulates surrogacy and egg donation clearly, which gives couples a stable legal foundation to build from before bringing their child home.

We help couples understand how Brazil’s fertility regulations compare with U.S. state laws so nothing catches them off guard. It is also worth learning about the legal and ethical aspects of human reproduction more broadly, since these questions often extend beyond a single country’s borders. Working with a clinic that understands both sides of this equation, rather than only the medical side, can save couples significant stress later in the process.

Support Built Specifically for LGBTQI+ Families at Chedid Grieco

Many same-sex male couples describe feeling like an afterthought at clinics built primarily around heterosexual patients. That is not the experience we aim to create. We have worked with LGBTQI+ intended parents for years, and our team understands the specific medical, legal, and emotional considerations that come with building a family this way. Our same-sex couple fertility options page covers additional detail on the paths available, and our broader page on LGBTQI+ assisted reproductive technologies explains how we adapt standard ART protocols for same-sex parents. We also encourage couples to read more on surrogacy and how it works as a starting point before their first consultation.

We have helped bring nearly 8,780 babies into the world, and we would be honored to help you add to that number. Consultations with our team take place in Miami, Florida, while treatment itself takes place in Brazil, giving you the comfort of in-person guidance close to home before you travel for care. Learn more about how this works on our fertility tourism page, or reach out through our contact form to start the conversation about your own path to fatherhood.