You can decide to have children in the same way as anyone else. People of all levels of spinal cord injuries have had children after their injury. If you want to prevent pregnancy, safe sex needs to be practiced. Condoms are considered the best choice for both males and females. If a female is interested in birth control options other than condoms, they should speak with their doctor. Pages 5-7 of this PDF created by Craig Hospital cover information on periods and birth control options: 786.Sexual-Function-for-Women-After-Spinal-Cord-Injury.pdf (craighospital.org)

Click here for a PDF guide on pregnancy and SCI: Pregnancy-and-SCI-booklet-V7.pdf (scisexualhealth.ca)

Click here to watch a video on the effects spinal cord injuries have on fertility: Fertility — Sexuality after SCI (sexualitysci.org)

For females, there is usually a brief pause in periods following a spinal cord injury, however, once the period returns, females can naturally become pregnant, carry, and deliver a baby. Pregnant females with spinal cord injuries are at a higher risk for secondary complications of spinal cord injuries, however, problems can be prevented or managed if they develop. For more information on pregnancy and considerations that should be made, check out this website: Pregnancy and Women with SCI | MSKTC

Here is another website with information on pregnancy that was created by the United Spinal Association: Pregnancy and Women with SCI - United Spinal Association

This resource was also created by the United Spinal Association and is a story of two women on pregnancy after spinal cord injury: Pregnancy after SCI: A Story of Two Women - United Spinal Association

For more information on parenting after a spinal cord injury, the United Spinal Association put together a list of resources for you to use: Parenting after SCI - United Spinal Association

Click here to watch a video on childcare strategies for people with spinal cord injuries developed by Craig Hospital: Childcare Strategies for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (youtube.com)

Male Fertility

Some men with spinal cord injuries are able to get their partners pregnant through sexual intercourse, but many men cannot. Men with spinal cord injuries often have fertility issues, but fertility specialists can offer medications and techniques to help.

Reasons for infertility in men with spinal cord injuries can be because of difficulties obtaining and maintaining erections, inability to ejaculate into a vagina during intercourse, or sperm may be unable to swim to fertilize an egg (known as poor sperm motility). Specialists experienced in spinal cord injuries can offer treatment options such as in-home insemination or medically assisted procedures ( i.e. electroejaculation, intrauterine insemination, or in vitro fertilization).

Talk with your health care provider to see what options may be available to you and see what referrals they may have for specialists or specialty clinics.

For more information on male fertility, watch the video below created by a nurse practitioner from Craig Hospital: Male Fertility After Spinal Cord Injury (youtube.com)