Freezing Eggs to Delay Starting a Family?

New research from Belgium and the U.K. suggests that women may increasingly be considering freezing their eggs as a way to prolong fertility as they pursue a career — or find the right romantic partner. A survey of nearly 200 female students found that half of those pursuing degrees in sports or education would consider freezing their eggs to give them the option to delay starting a family, while more than 8 out of 10 women pursuing a medical degree said that they would do so. Meanwhile, a tiny study in Belgium (which included only 15 women in their late 30s) found that half of those interviewed said they'd consider freezing their eggs to take the pressure off the hunt to find the right partner.


Both sets of findings are being presented this week at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Rome. Dr. Srilatha Gorthi, a research fellow at the Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine who led the U.K. study, said that more research into women's attitudes about egg preservation is important as advances in technology have made the technique more broadly available.


Previously, egg freezing was limited to women battling cancer who could face infertility as a side effect of chemotherapy treatments. Though egg preservation can have its risks — bleeding, infection, overstimulation of the ovaries and even, the very small risk of impaired natural fertility — for many women it may present a way to keep their options open, and delay motherhood until they are ready.


In a statement about the findings, Gorthi explained:



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I have a slightly different problem. Didn't deliberately delay anything but never met the right person. Also, have never particularly felt an urgent need to get married, have kids etc. However, I would still like to option to, and at 40, I decided to ask about egg freezing to give me a few more years/options. My doctor informed me that fertility treatments and freezing eggs is only available to married couples in HK. I guess single mothers are viewed negatively?


I am really speechless at the level of ignorance and sexism that is encouraged and indeed practised by the authorities via their policies. I love my life and work here and it's pretty extreme to pack up and move somewhere else which offers the option to freeze my eggs. But then again, I stand to lose any chance of having the option to have a baby at all if I stay.


There is no point going back to my country either because I come from another Asian country which has similar policies....

I tried to pursue fertility treatment a few years ago. Despite the fact that my partner & I had been together for 10+ years, the fact that we are still not married had many doors shut in our faces. It's absurd really when HK strives to sustain this 'modern'/ world city front, it's in fact living in the 60's.


I was going to start a lobbying group but have found it easier to seek help overseas where such discrimation does not exist.

I heard you can do egg freezng in thailand. its pretty advance there. friend of mine got ivf done there for 10,000usd. the baby boy is not 1.5years old.