The Human Rights Campaign recommends women consider the following five factors when exploring the option of insemination:

1. Age. A woman's ability to become pregnant declines and risk of an early miscarriage or Down's syndrome increases.

Specifically:

• The risk of infertility rises dramatically as women reach their mid-30s.
• The risk of early miscarriage rises significantly with age, with the average 40-year-old facing a one in two chance; and
• The incidence of having a baby with Down's syndrome, while only 1 in 10,000 for a 20-year-old mother, is about 3 in 1,000 for a 35-year-old mother, and 1 in 100 for a 40-year-old mother.

2. Health. Lesbian couples have an unusual opportunity: They can assess each other's health history and choose the one less likely to transmit genetic problems to their child.

3. Insurance. Insurance policies may not cover donor insemination.

4. Workplace policies. Liberal maternity leave policies may be offered by employers but others may expect new mothers to return to work immediately after birth.

5. Desire. One of the most important factors to consider is: How deeply do you long to carry and bear a child? Is your motivation strong enough to enable you to carry a child through pregnancy?