PREFER Study

Thanks to the advances in reproductive technologies as well as recent legislative advances in Québec and in Canada, it is now possible for trans and non-binary (TNB) young people to conserve their gametes (sperm and eggs) to be able to use them later in life if they decide to start a family. This option offers them the possibility of being genetically related to their future children. Fertility preservation is a recent practice that has been little documented internationally. The use of this assisted reproduction technique brings up a number of family and ethical issues, which arise as part of parents’ concerns for the well-being of their children who are undertaking medical transitions. Various factors and pressures push the idea of fertility preservation at an age where young people may not necessarily be aspiring to become parents. This project aims to better understand how young trans people in Québec experience the desire to preserve their gametes, the actions they take in that regard, and the ways their parents take part in discussions on the subject, in order to build an integrated overall understanding of the subject.

The results obtained will help us to develop continuing education for people working in health and social services to raise their awareness of the needs of TNB young people and their families, contribute to better supporting these young people’s transition journeys, and foster healthy family relationships. The project also aims to develop a decision-making support tool based on the experiences of young people and their parents.

This research project is a partnership with the organization Gender Creative Kids and the gender diversity clinic at the Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine and is conducted by lead investigator Kévin Lavoie (U Laval) with co-researchers Nicholas Chadi (U de Montréal), Lyne Chiniara (U de Montréal), Isabel Côté (UQO) and Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (U de Montréal).

This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [Insight Development 2020–2022].