Around one in two women are thinking about oocyte cryopreservation. This is revealed in a study published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), which shows that “many young women are worried about their fertility”.
According to the study, 49% of British women are worried about their ability to have children, including 25% of those aged 18–24. “Three out of five women also admit feeling overwhelmed by the amount of fertility information on offer, while more than three-quarters are not sure that the fertility advice they have heard is impartial”. The study also showed that 20% of British women use a cycle tracking application and 31% would consider using one in the future. Of the women surveyed, 44% reportedly consider egg freezing as a good way to preserve their fertility and would not exclude using it, while 11% had already done so. Some 1,002 British women were surveyed.
Official data shows that out of the 1,173 instances of oocyte cryopreservation carried out in 2016, only 32% involved women aged under 35. According to the experts, oocytes frozen early are of better quality, meaning that “women aged under 30 should freeze about 30 oocytes to have a good chance of becoming pregnant. This costs about £15,000”.
For further reading:
Oocyte cryopreservation, “women will often be disillusioned”
Oocyte cryopreservation: maternity insurance or delusion?
Egg freezing in England: + 460% since 2010
It is not their career that pushes women to freeze their eggs
The Independant, Sabrina Barr (14/03/2019) – Egg freezing considered by almost half of young women, study finds
ITV News (14/03/2019) – 44% of younger women considering freezing eggs, poll suggests
