A woman who chooses to freeze her eggs faces a similar choice to women who delay childbearing for other reasons. Both have the potential to reduce future suffering, but they also create new harms. Egg freezing can be a complex decision, especially for older women. Ultimately, the decision to freeze one’s eggs should be medically and personally informed.

Preserve Your Fertility

Women who choose egg freezing do so for a variety of reasons. Some are concerned about the aging process and the impact on fertility; others, such as cancer patients, may face infertility from disease progression or treatment that damages the ovaries. During the procedure, your reproductive endocrinologist will give you hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries and encourage multiple eggs to mature. They’ll monitor your progress through blood tests and a pelvic exam. Although not guaranteed, egg freezing allows you to delay childbearing until the time is right, rather than following your biological clock. And though not all frozen eggs lead to pregnancy, those that are thawed later in life have a higher chance of success than fresh eggs that would be retrieved at a later age.

Prevent Infertility

Women who freeze their eggs can choose not to use them in the future or, if they do, they have a much better chance of pregnancy than those who try to conceive at an older age. Women who have never married or partnered will also benefit from egg freezing, which gives them more options for family building down the road.

Elective egg freezing is becoming more popular as a way to “have it all” in life, but it’s a personal decision that shouldn’t be based on peer pressure or marketing. Those who are considering freezing their eggs for medical reasons should discuss it with their doctor. Patients undergoing cancer treatment, who are dealing with endometriosis may benefit from freezing their eggs before starting treatments that could impact fertility..

Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy

As women get older, their number and quality of eggs decline. Freezing your eggs can help you avoid unwanted pregnancy in the future by delaying childbirth until you’re ready. Women who freeze their eggs are often able to focus on their careers, find a partner, or build a strong financial foundation before becoming a mother. They can also prevent unintended pregnancies that could lead to abortions, miscarriages, or unhappy marriages. Elective egg freezing is a personal choice, and it’s important to have a thoughtful discussion with your doctor before pursuing this option. Although recent technological advancements have made it easier for more women to freeze their eggs, some experts still consider the procedure experimental. A 2022 study found that the likelihood of a live birth from frozen eggs increases with age, but there is no guarantee that the procedure will work.

Prevent Endometriosis

For women with endometriosis, egg freezing is a smart way to preserve their fertility. This is because the inflammatory environment created by endometriosis can affect the quality of the oocytes, leading to poor implantation and pregnancy rates. Women who freeze their eggs can use them at a later date to become pregnant. This can be done even if they have already reached menopause since frozen eggs are not subject to the same decline in quality that occurs with age. The decision to pursue egg freezing should be based on personal and medical circumstances. It is important that women choose their gynecologist carefully and avoid choosing a clinic based on marketing campaigns. 

Prevent Cancer

Since the number and quality of eggs decrease with age, many women choose to freeze their eggs before the onset of menopause. This allows them to preserve their fertility and increase the odds of conceiving biological children. In cases where cancer treatments like chemotherapy can destroy the ovary, freezing eggs offers a chance for women to become pregnant after treatment using a gestational surrogate. Eggs that survive the freeze-thaw process can be fertilized in a lab to create a baby. Despite the health and well-being benefits of egg freezing, some regulating bodies have put forward the idea that egg freezing is ethically unacceptable.