Rixt Anna Luikenaar, MD, FACOG — An Honest Editorial Review

Patients searching fertility clinics in Utah sometimes land on Rebirth Health Center in Holladay because Dr. Rixt A.C. Luikenaar is one of the most visible Utah physicians explicitly offering LGBTQ+ affirming women's health and gender-affirming care. It is important to say up front what this practice is and is not: Rebirth is a general obstetrics and gynecology practice with a distinctive focus on LGBTQ+ patients, transgender health, and family-building counseling — not a SART-member reproductive endocrinology clinic. For patients whose path ultimately requires IVF or egg retrieval, Dr. Luikenaar works within a referral network that includes the major Salt Lake City REI programs.

About the Physician

Dr. Luikenaar earned her medical degree Cum Laude from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, then completed OB/GYN training in the United States. She is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and holds the Fellow designation (FACOG) with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Verify current certification through the ABOG physician directory.

Beyond her MD, Dr. Luikenaar holds an MBA from the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and is an Adjunct Faculty member in the University of Utah Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is WPATH GEI SOC-8 certified (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and is co-author and co-editor of Transgynecology, a reference text published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. Browse her PubMed publications.

Practice Focus: LGBTQ+ Family-Building as a Specialty

LGBTQ+ affirming care is a legitimate and meaningful practice specialty in a state without many openly affirming OB/GYNs. Dr. Luikenaar launched Utah's first dedicated transgender clinic in 2011 and has since seen thousands of transgender and gender-expansive patients of all ages. For family-building, the clinic serves same-sex couples pursuing donor-sperm cycles, single parents by choice, and transgender or nonbinary patients planning for pregnancy — including those who need counseling on pausing gender-affirming hormones in advance of insemination or IVF elsewhere. This is care that many general OB/GYN offices in the Intermountain West are not structured to provide with the same depth.

Services Offered

The practice is a general OB/GYN office with a focused LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming scope. Services include:

• Gynecologic primary care, contraception, and STI management
• Preconception counseling and fertility evaluation
• Ovulation tracking and timed intercourse or donor-sperm cycle coordination
• Gender-affirming hormone therapy (estrogen and testosterone regimens)
• Reproductive planning for transgender and nonbinary patients, including counseling on fertility preservation before transition
• Pre- and post-operative care for patients pursuing gender-affirming surgery elsewhere
• Menopause and perimenopause care, PCOS management, sexual-health evaluation

For published practice details and services, see the Rebirth Health Center website.

What This Practice Is Not

Rebirth Health Center is not a SART-member reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) clinic. Dr. Luikenaar is a board-certified OB/GYN rather than a subspecialty-trained reproductive endocrinologist, and the office does not perform egg retrieval, embryo transfer, or IVF on-site. Patients who need those services are referred to Utah's REI centers, including RMA Utah (formerly Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine, UCRM), Utah Fertility Center, and Reproductive Care Center (RCC). You can review reported cycle outcomes on the SART clinic search and the CDC ART Success Rates report.

If your evaluation suggests you are likely to need IVF — for example, blocked tubes, severe male factor, diminished ovarian reserve, or recurrent pregnancy loss — a direct referral to a SART-member REI program is the right next step, and Dr. Luikenaar can help coordinate that transition.

Utah Insurance and Cost Context

Utah is not a fertility-mandate state. Commercial health plans in Utah are generally not required to cover IVF, and Utah Medicaid does not cover fertility treatment. Self-pay is typical for IUI and IVF, and some employers offer fertility benefits through platforms like Carrot, Progyny, or WIN. Gender-affirming hormone therapy coverage varies significantly by plan. Confirm benefits in writing before starting any cycle — see our fertility insurance mandates by state guide.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that many LGBTQ+ families use — particularly same-sex female couples and single parents by choice who are working with known or bank donor sperm and have no known fertility diagnosis.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them for several cycles before escalating to clinical IUI, and pair the kits with ovulation tracking and preconception care through an affirming OB/GYN like Dr. Luikenaar.

If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you are over 35), or your physician has recommended IUI, egg freezing, or donor-egg IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the appropriate next step.

When to Consult

Reasonable reasons to book with Dr. Luikenaar include: you want an affirming OB/GYN for preconception planning before a donor-sperm cycle; you are transgender or nonbinary and want reproductive counseling before or after hormone therapy; you want LGBTQ+ affirming gynecologic primary care; or you want a physician who can coordinate a clean handoff to a Utah REI program if IVF is needed.

Location and Contact

Practice: Rebirth Health Center Address: 2180 East 4500 South, Suite 265, Holladay, UT 84117 Phone: (801) 272-3909 Website: rebirthhealthcenter.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Luikenaar a fertility specialist (REI)? No. Dr. Luikenaar is a board-certified OB/GYN with a focused LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming practice. She provides fertility evaluation, preconception counseling, and ovulation-cycle coordination, and refers to SART-member REI clinics for IVF, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer.

Can I see Dr. Luikenaar for LGBTQ+ family-building if I am not transgender? Yes. The practice serves same-sex couples, single parents by choice, and any patient seeking LGBTQ+ affirming reproductive care — including donor-sperm cycle planning and preconception workup.

Does the clinic perform IUI on-site? Confirm directly with the office at (801) 272-3909. Some LGBTQ+ affirming OB/GYN practices perform in-office IUI with ordered donor sperm, while others coordinate the cycle and refer the insemination itself. Ask about current protocols when you book.

Does Utah cover fertility treatment? Utah has no state insurance mandate for IVF or IUI, and Utah Medicaid does not cover fertility treatment. Most patients pay out of pocket or use employer fertility benefits. Review our IVF cost by state breakdown.

I am searching for a "fertility clinic" — is this the right place? If you need IVF, egg retrieval, or embryo transfer, you likely want a SART-member REI program such as RMA Utah, Utah Fertility Center, or Reproductive Care Center. If you want affirming preconception care, donor-sperm cycle coordination, or reproductive planning around gender-affirming hormones, Dr. Luikenaar's practice is an appropriate starting point.

Editorial note: Independently written by the Fertlo editorial team; not sponsored. See our editorial policy.