The Ontario Fertility Program does provide funding for fertility treatments and does not discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation.  However, it is important to know that funding does not cover all aspects of fertility treatment.  For a  full explanation of fees, please visit or fees page. Markham Fertility Centre is fully transparent with its fee structure and have resources to assist in undertaking the costs of treatment.  Here are some examples below:

IUI - Funding is provided for IUI, but does not cover the cost of donor sperm, medications, or sperm preparation.  There is no limit to the number of IUI cycles you can undertake as long as Markham Fertility has not reached its annual allotment of IUI funding from the Ministry.

IVF - Funding is available for IVF.  Like IUI, not all fees are covered. Funding does not cover the cost of donor sperm, medications, storage of eggs/embryos/sperm or genetic testing.   It is important to know that demand for funded IVF is very high and there is a wait list in excess of 1 year.  If you are interested, please tell your fertility specialist and we will add you to the waitlist.

Reciprocal IVF - Funding is available for IVF as described above.  Funding does not cover the transfer of embryos into a second uterus and can only be submitted under the name of the person carrying the pregnancy.  If reciprocal IVF is of interest to you, you are able to transfer an embryo if you pay for the procedure.

Fertility Preservation - Funding is available for sperm freezing and egg freezing.  While there is no waitlist for sperm freezing, there is a waitlist for funded egg freezing. Those wanting to freeze eggs for medical reasons will be placed on a wait list with IVF patients. also, like IVF not all fees are covered.  Funding does not cover the cost of medications or storage of eggs.

The Ontario Fertility Program funding does not discriminate based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, or family status. However, there are some rules tot he funding and it is helpful to know how it works.

For those doing IUI, funding is available to the person having the insemination.  That person must simply meet eligibility criteria for OHIP.

For those doing IVF, it is important to know that funding is submitted under the person who intends to carry the pregnancy.  What does this mean for patients?

• If the intended parent will not carry the pregnancy, then a surrogate must be in place prior to the cycle and meet the eligibility requirements for funding. A surrogate is eligible for one IVF cycle for themself and one as a surrogate.
• If there is more than one intended parent who can carry the pregnancy, then the plan for who will have an egg retrieval and who will carry should be clearly communicated to the care team at clinic to ensure funding is allocated correctly. Funding will be submitted under the name of the person who will carry the pregnancy, not the egg provider, if they are different. Also, funding rules do not allow for embryos to be placed in both intended parents.

We will help you navigate the funding rules and ensure you are well prepared.

Reciprocal IVF, or reciprocal in vitro fertilization, occurs where two uterus-bearing people each want to have an opportunity to carry a pregnancy.  In reciprocal IVF, the one contributing the egg may want to carry the pregnancy on the first transfer, but the partner may be the recipient of the embryo on the next occasion.  Deciding on the pregnancy roles of each individual in reciprocal IVF can be difficult. Both parents may want to experience pregnancy, and each may also want to be the one to pass their genetic material to the child.

There is a higher cost associated with donor and surrogacy cycles in Canada due to the more complex nature of these arrangements and strict Health Canada Regulations imposed on donor and surrogacy cycles.  These higher costs are applied in the same way to all families using donor and surrogacy services, including families who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ as well as those who identify as heterosexual.

All families who access donor or surrogacy cycles at Markham Fertility Centre and most clinics are required to complete one session of counselling prior to their cycle to explore the complexities of introducing a third party to their family building and to ensure the intended parents are best equipped with the tools and resources they need to support their future child(ren) about the nature of their conception. This counselling requirement is part of Assisted Reproduction best practice guidelines from professional bodies including the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Having a legal agreement in place best protects the parental rights of the intended parents after birth and allows for more confidence from the donors in knowing they will not be legally responsible for the child(ren) after donation.

All patients at Markham Fertility Centre are required to maintain annual infectious disease testing to ensure the robust safety and integrity of our lab as well as our patients undergoing treatment. This screening could allow us to detect an early infection in Partner B who could infect Partner A outside of their assisted reproductive treatment.

Our core values include inclusivity, teamwork and integrity. We are dedicated to ensuring a personalized experience to all patients. We have a dedicated donor and surrogacy team to allow for robust services and devoted care providers to our 2SLGBTQIA+ community with a focus on safe and inclusive care.  Our materials are also written in a way that is inclusive and accessible and we are pleased to hear from our patients about how we might do better - in any aspect of our program.

A declaration of parentage is a legal document that confirms who the legal parents of a child are.  Thankfully, the law has changed in Ontario such that declarations of parentage are no longer required in cases where the parents are in a same sex relationship or used a donor.

However, in cases where a gestational carrier is involved, a declaration of parentage should be brought before the courts to declare that the gestational carrier is not a parent.

It is important that you consult a lawyer that specializes in reproductive or family law to understand your rights and obligations with respect to parentage.  Please visit our section on Legal Counselling for a list of potential lawyers.