Jesi Corcuera. Images: Jan Mayo via Instagram/@corcuerajesi
Jesi Corcuera — who goes by the pronouns he or him — revealed that his baby was conceived through artificial insemination, days after announcing his pregnancy.
In a “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” interview, which was broadcast on Tuesday, Oct. 8, Corcuera recalled how his child was conceived through artificial insemination, which was successful after the fourth attempt.
Artificial insemination is done when a doctor inserts the sperm directly into the woman’s cervix or uterine cavity in hopes of getting pregnant. Timing is critical in this process, which was noted by Corcuera since there were a lot of factors to consider before he could conceive his child.
“Noong time na ‘yun, IVF (in vitro fertilization) ‘yung plano ko. Pero dahil sa Philippines, hindi pa allowed ang case namin na LGBT [couples], so hindi siya na-push through,” he said. “[And] meron ka lang one shot — kaya baka maubos ang savings ko. D’un ko naman nalaman ang artificial insemination. Siya ‘yung naging last option kasi si donor lang ang ibibigay sa’yo.”
(At the time, I planned to conceive through IVF (in vitro fertilization). But LGBT couples are prohibited from this in the Philippines, so it didn’t push through. And you only had one shot, which might lead to me emptying my savings. This is where I discovered artificial insemination. It became my last option because only a donor will be given to me.)
Corcuera, who still wanted to undergo IVF at the time, ultimately decided to opt for artificial insemination due to his age.
“Hindi katulad sa IVF na may option ng surrogacy… dahil medyo tumatanda na rin, merong expiration ang [egg cell] ng mga babae, inisip ko na sige, mag-[artificial insemination] na ako. Bahala na si Batman,” he said.
(It’s not like IVF which had an option for surrogacy. Since I’m getting older, a woman’s egg cell has an expiration date. I settled with artificial insemination, and allowed time to take its course.)
The “Starstruck” alum shared that his pregnancy was “three years in the making,” and he even stopped taking hormones to make sure that his baby would be safe. At the time, he considered many options that could fit his budget, including allowing his partner Camille to get pregnant instead.
“Kahit wala pa siya, siya agad iisipin ko agad, kung safe ba. Ang tagal ko rin nag-hormones since 2012 — parang 11 years. Iniisip ko n’ung time na ‘yun na baka hindi mag-work,” he said.
“Noong nag-try ako [mag-conceive] ng baby, ni-research ko na sa endocrinologist ko na nag-guide sa’kin sa hormone replacement therapy… Ideally, six months lang ‘yung hinihinging normal menstruation na bumalik, pero ako ginawa ko po ng one year para mas sigurado. Pero umabot pa po ng almost one and a half kasi marami pang naging balakid bago ulit magsimula,” Corcuera further added.
(Even though I didn’t have my baby yet, I wanted the baby to be safe. I’ve been taking hormones since 2012, 11 years. I was thinking that it might not work. When I tried conceiving my child, I sought the help of my endocrinologist who was guiding me through my hormone replacement therapy. Ideally, six months is required for my normal menstruation to return. But I made it last for a year to be sure. It actually lasted for almost a year and a half because there were a lot of challenges along the way.)
On his pregnancy
When asked why he wanted to be pregnant, Corcuera shared that being a father figure to his partner’s children made him realize how much he wanted children of his own.
“Bago mabuo ang isang bata, meron nang mama at papa. Pwede ko naman siyang gawin kasi merong mga single mom na nagpapakatatay. ‘Yun ang iniisip ko. Hindi nagma-matter ang kasarian mo para maging isang magulang,” he added.
(A mother and father are already present before a child is made. I can have it done because, for example, there are single moms who are willing to stand as fathers. That’s my thought on that. Your gender doesn’t matter when it comes to being a parent.)
The internet personality then revealed that he’s expecting a baby girl, and refers to her as “ninja” for the time being. He didn’t disclose when he would give birth.
Corcuera, who announced his pregnancy earlier this month, joined the talent show “Starstruck” in 2006. He then joined “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7” as a housemate in 2016.