PCOS in Lesbian and Heterosexual Women Treated with Artificial Donor Insemination
January 2008
in “
Reproductive Biomedicine Online
”
TLDR Sexual orientation does not affect the prevalence of PCOS or fertility rates in women undergoing artificial donor insemination.
The study investigated the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 174 lesbian and 200 heterosexual women undergoing artificial donor insemination (AID) and found no significant difference between the two groups, with 8.0% of lesbian women and 8.7% of heterosexual women diagnosed with PCOS. The prevalence of polycystic ovaries was also similar between the groups, and there was no significant difference in cycle length, regularity, or AID treatment outcomes. Despite limitations, such as the exclusion of some participants due to diagnostic criteria and the non-inclusion of non-child-desiring lesbian partners, the study concluded that sexual orientation is not associated with PCOS prevalence, and fertility rates are similar for lesbian and heterosexual women in the context of AID.