Freezing your own eggs? One in two British women is considering it

Publié le 25 Mar, 2019

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

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