From Sperm Runners to Sperm Banks: Lesbians, Assisted Conception, and Challenging the Fertility Industry, 1971–1983

Abstract

While scholars from various disciplines examine lesbian assisted conception after 1983, when lesbians had already gained easier access to fertility services and treatments, little historical work exists that explores the period before 1983 or the reasons that year proved pivotal for lesbians wanting to conceive. This article focuses on the transformative years from 1971 to 1983, in which medically assisted conception for lesbians transitioned from being inaccessible to a viable option. Using archival material and oral interviews, I chart how a small group of lesbians utilized the tools of the women’s health and gay liberation movements to make assisted conception more accessible.