It costs around £8,000 (US$11,000) in the UK to undergo one egg freezing cycle. And women are prepared to pay this despite the relatively low chance of conception from these eggs – around 18%. Why is this the case?
While the media often portrays such middle to high earning women as ‘selfishly’ focusing on their careers rather than opportunities for motherhood, a lot of women say that it is simply because the ‘clock is ticking’ and crucially that they haven’t met the right partner with whom to have children.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) – the UK’s independent regulator for fertility treatment and embryology, some 46% of women who had their eggs frozen in 2016 were without a partner. In big city locations in the UK the proportion is even higher at around 75%.
The reasons for women freezing their eggs appears to be elective and based on insurance for the future. However, these women do not appear to be buying time in order for a ‘right partner’ to materialise. As Professor Nick Macklon, of the London Women’s Clinic, says: “There is a big change, not just in attitude and feelings of ‘we don’t need a partner to design our own future’, but also with technology, which means there’s a chance of having a child in a way we couldn’t a long time ago.”
But this is an expensive process. In the UK it is only offered by the NHS in cases, where, for example, a woman is undergoing treatment for cancer. For others the cost is around GBP£8,000 (US$11,000). Despite this cost, the chances of conceiving from frozen eggs is relatively small – around 18% according to the HFEA. This figure also falls as women get older. Professor Macklon said, “The ideal age to freeze eggs would be about 30-31 – not just for medical reasons but for social ones too.” This is because egg storage lasts for ten years unless there is a medical issue.
So despite the costs, and somewhat limited chances of success, an increasing number of women are prepared to have their eggs frozen. So what is the best advice here?
According to Dr Jane Stewart, chair of the British Fertility Society, the best advice is to undertake thorough research before handing over substantial sums of money. She also has words for women who are otherwise fertile: “Don’t be scared by the fertility statistics. Many women conceive in their late 30s and 40s if they don’t have a separate fertility problem, but it can take longer and for some may not happen. Understanding that helps to make other decisions.”
Aileen Feeney, chief executive of the charity Fertility Network, would like to see the egg-freezing period extended further than the ten-year limit in the UK. This is because the optimum age for harvesting viable eggs is 28 and below, and extending the period would give women greater flexibility in terms of when to utilise them. She also commented that egg freezing should not be considered an ultimate insurance policy.
Ms. Feeney warned, “The fertility of future partners has to be taken into consideration, the eggs may not survive and frozen-egg birth rates are low. Clinics must be transparent on these factors when their patient is considering freezing their eggs, so they are able to make an informed choice as to whether egg freezing is the right decision for them.”
In terms of the costs, anyone considering egg freezing is advised to ask the clinic for a full and transparent breakdown of all anticipated costs before going ahead with the procedure.
