(Photo courtesy Athena Reich)
Choosing to have two children by in vitro fertilization as a solo mother was something Athena Reich was ready for.
Reich knew she wanted to have kids but as a queer, 36-year-old woman who was single she understood personal obstacles. Before she researched intrauterine insemination procedures, she got her blood work done and found out she was in perimenopause.
Reich’s levels were up, and her egg quality was likely not good. After being referred to an infertility specialist, she was told she couldn’t do IUI as she wasn’t going to conceive a child with her own eggs.
“I remember thinking there’s no way I could rush and co-parent at this point,” Reich recalls. “…My parents got divorced when I was five. They both found love later … there’s no reason why I can’t just have love and kids, but in a different order.”
IUI is different from IVF because in an IUI procedure, fertilization occurs in a person’s body. A sperm sample is collected and is inserted into the uterus with a catheter during ovulation. This method helps the sperm get to the egg more easily in hope that fertilization will happen. With IVF, the sperm and egg are fertilized in a lab and then placed in the uterus as an embryo.
While Reich did look into adoption and fostering, she knew the best way for her was to have a baby through an egg donor.
Reich has a boy and girl who are three and a half years apart in age. She received support from her mother to be a solo mom by choice as her mother raised Reich and worked full-time.
“What I found really interesting is that all the people my age were panicked for me,” Reich notes. “Like, ‘oh my God, what are you doing? This is a terrible idea.’ And all the women, the older generation, they would grab me like, ‘this is a really smart idea.”
From doing research, Reich saw that choosing to be a single mom is different than in other circumstances. She says the main defining factor is economics. As she researched more, she found a whole community of women who are raising kids by choice and doing so alone. The group is called Single Mom by Choice.
“I started to get to know everybody and the research shows that kids do very well,” Reich says. “If you’re a single mom by choice then A, if you’re going to overcome all of society’s stigma, you really want the kid and B, you can afford it.”
More than 8 million babies have been born from IVF since 1978. It’s one of the most effective assisted reproductive technologies available, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Reich isn’t just a mother. She is also a medical student at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine and a national researcher on LGBTQ+ healthcare professional experiences. Her study was conducted under the auspices of OCOM.
She says she noticed that there are healthcare disparities and saw a need for healthcare professionals who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, which led her to pursue a career in the industry. She says the medical community has been trying to reduce disparities among minorities and that the same work is needed to have LGBTQ+ representation on the medical side.
“There’s historical mistrust from the medical community, and we should have that because psychiatrists would try to make us straight. So what we found works among Black, indigenous, people of color is to have representation,” Reich shares.
“My research considered that if we’re not comfortable being out, then we’re not representing,” she continues. “Of course we should recruit more queer people … but we also have to be safe enough to come out.”
Reich interviewed 40 people in a mix of doctors, nurses and medical students for her study, where she presented the findings at the OCOM Research Symposium. She asked all of them if they have ever experienced or witnessed microaggression due to being a sexual or gender minority. She says two thirds had and that two thirds of respondents were closeted at work.
Her research was presented at the Gay Lesbian Medical Association in Minneapolis. The full study will be published in Cureus Journal.
She acknowledges that patients shouldn’t be afraid to find a healthcare provider they want. Her doctor is queer and makes her feel comfortable to talk about her gender issues.
Whether it’s in seeking to become a parent or any other matter, Reich says LGBTQ+ patients shouldn’t be judged and should find the care they deserve.
To learn more about Athena Reich, visit AthenaReich.com.
This story was originally published in Watermark Out News’ 2025 Q-Health Guide. Read the digital edition here.
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