Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is becoming an increasingly popular option for women looking to preserve their fertility. This article will explore the various reasons, key trends and statistics that highlight the growing interest in egg freezing.

To learn more about the egg freezing process, read here.  

Reasons for the Rise in Egg Freezing:

1. Career Prioritisation

Many women are starting families later in life and choosing to focus on their careers during their prime reproductive years. Egg freezing allows them to delay childbearing until they feel more secure in their professional and personal lives.

2. Advances in Technology and Medicine  

Technological developments such as embryo screening and egg freezing (vitrification), have increased the success rates of egg freezing and thawing, making the procedure more reliable.

Women facing medical treatments that could impact fertility, such as chemotherapy for cancer, are also opting to freeze their eggs. This proactive step ensures they have the option of having biological children in the future.

3. Increased Accessibility and Societal Shifts

Awareness of egg freezing has grown significantly in the UK, thanks to media coverage and educational efforts by fertility clinics.

Alongside this, there is a growing acceptance of assisted reproductive technologies in the UK. As societal norms evolve, more women feel empowered to take control of their own reproductive futures using methods like egg freezing.

Trends and Statistics: 

Rising Popularity

• Increase in Procedures: According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the number of women opting for egg freezing in the UK is significantly increasing. The number of egg storage cycles increased from around 2,500 in 2019 to over 4,200 in 2021.

Success Rates 

• Technological Improvements: Vitrification has significantly improved the survival rates for frozen-thawed eggs to around 80%, and fertilisation rates are comparable to those of fresh eggs.
• Medical improvements: The development of embryo screening has allowed for the identification of embryos that are most likely to result in a successful pregnancy and healthy baby by assessing embryos for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities before they are transferred to the uterus. To learn more about embryo screening, read here. 
• Nutritional Knowledge: We now know far more about the importance of nutritional preparation and lifestyle for egg health. For example, taking CoQ10 (a supplement) has shown promise in increasing cell energy production which improves fertility, particularly for older individuals. The development of eggs requires a huge amount of energy, and during the stimulation phase, your body is producing a number of eggs, meaning your energy requirement is higher. Therefore, we recommend considering a CoQ10 supplement. To learn more about how Coq10 could benefit fertility read here. 

Cultural Norms

• Cultural Acceptance: In many countries, including the UK, the cultural acceptance of fertility preservation is growing. This shift is partly due to increased education about reproductive health and the benefits of egg freezing.

As technology continues to improve and societal norms evolve, egg freezing is likely to become an even more common choice for women looking to take control of their reproductive futures.