Freezing his eggs before testosterone therapy gave Taylor Winters, 42, the chance to have biological children without carrying a pregnancy. His experience highlights fertility-preservation options and the medical uncertainties transgender men may face when planning families.

Winters and his wife, Chloe, 33, are expecting a baby girl in January 2027. They conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), using his frozen eggs and sperm from a donor they were matched with in 2022.

'I always wanted to have biological kids, but I didn't want to be pregnant,' Winters said. He began testosterone in November 2017, aged 34, and later underwent top surgery and a hysterectomy.

Preserving Fertility Before Treatment

The British Fertility Society says transgender people considering hormone therapy or surgery may wish to freeze eggs or sperm. For people with ovaries, egg freezing can preserve an option for biological parenthood after transition-related treatment.

The process involves hormonal stimulation to mature multiple eggs before they are retrieved and frozen. When someone is ready to pursue parenthood, the eggs can be thawed, fertilised with sperm and developed into embryos for transfer.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommend discussing fertility-preservation options before gender-affirming treatment.

Freezing eggs does not guarantee a future birth. Some eggs may not survive thawing, fertilise successfully or develop into embryos suitable for transfer, and not every embryo transfer results in pregnancy.

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What Research Says About Testosterone

Testosterone can suppress ovulation and menstruation, but its long-term effects on ovarian function and fertility remain uncertain. Research suggests egg retrieval may still be possible after testosterone use, although outcomes vary and further evidence is needed.

A review published in JBRA Assisted Reproduction examined 13 studies involving transgender men who had used testosterone for between two and 12 years. The findings showed promising egg-freezing results, but researchers could not establish testosterone's long-term effects on fertility.

Fertility preservation is often discussed before testosterone therapy or gender-affirming surgery. However, egg retrieval may still be possible after testosterone treatment has begun, although clinical evidence remains limited and treatment protocols vary.

Fertility clinics have traditionally recommended temporarily stopping testosterone before egg retrieval. Interrupting treatment can be distressing for some transgender men, particularly if menstruation returns. Ovarian stimulation also raises oestrogen levels, which some may find difficult to manage and may intensify gender dysphoria, according to Cofertility's fertility guidance.

Cofertility cited a Boston IVF study reporting comparable egg-freezing outcomes among transgender men and cisgender patients. Participants had stopped testosterone for an average of four months before treatment, so the findings do not establish equivalent outcomes for those continuing therapy.

Age and Surgical Considerations

The BC Medical Journal identifies the period before age 35 as optimal for freezing eggs because reproductive potential generally declines with age. This is not an absolute deadline, and individual outcomes differ.

The journal notes that no number of frozen eggs guarantees a live birth. Age and the number of eggs retrieved can affect the likelihood of a successful pregnancy, making counselling important before treatment.

Some gender-affirming surgeries can permanently remove reproductive options, depending on the procedures performed. A hysterectomy removes the uterus but does not necessarily remove the ovaries, which can remain a source of eggs.

From Frozen Eggs to Fatherhood

Winters and Chloe began IVF in February 2026, spending more than $9,000 (£6,730) on treatment. Their first embryo transfer in March failed, leaving them 'crushed', but a second transfer in May resulted in pregnancy.

Chloe said the pregnancy was going 'really well'. Winters has attended her medical appointments and said holding their daughter for the first time would be 'amazing'.

The couple hope to have another child using Chloe's eggs and the same sperm donor. Their experience demonstrates how fertility preservation can offer transgender people options for biological parenthood, while important questions about long-term reproductive outcomes remain.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is fertility preservation?
    Fertility preservation involves saving or protecting eggs, sperm, or reproductive tissue so that a person can use them to have biological children in the future.
  • Why might transgender individuals consider fertility preservation?
    Transgender individuals may consider fertility preservation to have the option of biological parenthood after undergoing hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery, which can affect fertility.
  • What are the challenges of fertility preservation for transgender individuals?
    Challenges include the potential need to pause hormone therapy, the emotional and physical effects of the process, and the uncertainty of successful outcomes.