Single women pay thousands to freeze their eggs – but at what cost? | Science

More and more women are choosing to freeze their eggs because they have not found the right partner yet – but with such low design chances, is it a waste of money?

Egg freezing is a method of preserving a woman's fertility so that she can have children later. This involves collecting her eggs, freezing them and thawing them later so that they can be used in treatment. .

Caroline Watson * was about 30 years old and was single for three years when she began to seriously consider freezing her eggs. "The time was running out and I wanted to save time because I did not expect to meet anyone with whom to have a child," says Watson, a lawyer who lives in London. At 39, she has frozen her eggs, a process that consists of a series of injections to stimulate the ovaries so that they produce eggs that can be extracted and placed in a cryogenic storage. She put £ 5,000 on her credit card.

Five years later and still single, Watson took out a £ 25,000 personal loan to pay IVF with a sperm donor in the United States, which involved investing in a new cycle of oocytes and to transfer embryos. Unfortunately, this did not result in a successful pregnancy. Today, a year later, Watson still hopes – and invests considerable sums – to become a mother. "I'm 45 and considering using an egg donor with my last sperm ampoule."

But for the moment, given the emotional tension, she pauses. "I need a break because it's very stressful," she says.

Watson's quest for motherhood is far from rare. A growing number of single women are choosing to freeze their eggs and, rather than focusing on their career rather than on relationships, as some media have described, many do so because they do not do it. have not done yet. person with whom they would like to have children.

In 2016, 46% of women who have frozen their eggs have done so without a partner, according to the authority of Fertilization and Human Embryology (HFEA), the independent regulatory authority of the United Kingdom for the treatment of fertility and research on the human embryo. At the same time, more than three-quarters (77%) of women who froze their eggs with the London Women's Clinic between 2012 and 2016 were single.

"The demand for freezing eggs for what we call elective or social reasons has taken off," says Nick Macklon, medical director of the London Women's Clinic and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Copenhagen. "We have seen a demand for freezing eggs for single women, with a focus on big cities, which seems to be generally related to: [living in] a competitive urban environment.

"There is also a big change not only in the attitude and feelings of" we do not need a partner to design our own future ", but also with technology, which means that there is a chance to have a child in a way that we could not long ago. "

As Watson's credit cards and loans show, the process is expensive. The average price of a complete cycle of freezing eggs, including storage and use of eggs in future treatments, is between £ 7,000 and £ 8,000, according to the HFEA (freezing eggs it is funded by the NHS only in cases where, for example, undergoes cancer treatment).

However, despite the heavy charges, research from Imperial College London and hospitals in Chelsea and Westminster shows that the chances of conceiving with frozen eggs are relatively low. Their statistics show that the proportion of frozen eggs leading to live births among women under 36 is 8.2%, rising to 3.3% for women aged 36 to 39 years. According to the HFEA, the current birth rate of women trying to conceive own frozen eggs is 18%.

"The ideal time to freeze eggs would be about 30 to 31 years – not just for medical reasons, but also for social reasons," says Macklon, noting that egg conservation lasts only 10 years, unless in case of medical problem.

Despite the high costs and low success rates, many women, such as Watson, are willing to go into debt to preserve their fertility.

When Sarah Thompson *'s relationship suddenly ended at age 40, she began to panic that she might never have children. "I felt naturally designed to be a mother," says Thompson, who is now 44 and lives in Devon. "However, it was not something I wanted to do myself or create a relationship for the sole purpose of winning. I hoped that there was time for this to be done in the traditional way: to be with someone you love.

But with evidence indicating that the quality of eggs decreases with age, two years later, she decided to freeze them. "It's been such a big decision for me, not so much emotionally as financially," Thompson said. "I had a good job but I did not make enough money for the rent, apart from a deposit [for a property] and freeze my eggs. I had no financial support from parents or partners, so I had to do it myself. "

A month later, she paid the cost of £ 7,000 for freezing her eggs on two credit cards. "I'm not really a credit card user, but I thought" my eggs can not wait, "says Thompson, who has produced seven eggs, which are now stored. "My chances were really low. They were right with me. They even told me that I had a 10-in-10 chance [of falling pregnant with those eggs]. "

Despite this, she says she does not regret, adding that she has since met a person with whom she could try to have a baby in the near future.

One year after the end of a long-standing relationship, Alice Mann *, then 36, decided to freeze her eggs. "In addition to crying the loss of the relationship, I also felt that I was losing my last chance of being a mother," says author of Egged On blog. "Freezing my eggs seemed like a way to press the break or keep my options open."

She says she did research on fertility clinics and "was skeptical about those who had charged hundreds of people for an open day or who had tried to sell me three packages for two". She eventually chose one with a free morning opening and a 10 minute consultation with the medical director. In the past five years, the marketing consultant has spent about £ 50,000 on three egg freezing cycles, trying to design using her frozen eggs and three other IVF cycles, all of which failed.

Fortunately for Mann, who lives in London, it was not a financial problem. "I'm boring and sensitive, and I have a good job paying a decent salary. So I was able to save money in previous years, "says Mann, 41.

"In other years, this might have been used to redo my bathroom or my kitchen and I guess in the long run I was saving to buy a property abroad. But in recent years, these savings have focused on egg freezing, IVF and badociated costs.

"I am very lucky, I know it is not a lot of money, but I do not feel like I have to deprive myself of anything to pay for it. . "

However, while one door eventually closed, another opened. She is now in a relationship with a man she met a year ago. "He is wonderful and open to having children, so who knows what will happen next?"

Some other women I talk to talk about saving money to preserve their fertility. Gemma Ellis *, a London-based product manager, is about to freeze her eggs. "I'm 35 and it's the perfect time to freeze my eggs. At 37, it will not be money as well spent. "

She says that in recent years she has put between £ 300 and £ 500 a month on a separate account. "I saved £ 10,000, which I could do without too much to report because I had a new job with a higher salary."

Anyone opting for egg freezing is asked to ask the clinic to consider the distribution of all costs prior to proceeding with the procedure.

Thompson said she was frustrated after the clinic she went to was unclear about the price. "They said it would cost a certain amount … they did not say that each consultation would cost £ 250 each time, this clinic could have been clearer with the cost breakdown."

Similarly, Watson warns that costs can skyrocket given the lack of transparency in this regard.

"The clinics do not give a good idea of ​​the cost because it depends on your medications, your procedures and your reaction," she says. "It's a bit like building jobs – you have to anticipate extra costs and spend all you can to succeed."

* The names have been changed

What the experts say

Jane Stewart, president of the British Fertility Society, advises women to conduct extensive research before releasing large sums.

"There is no guarantee of success and natural fertility always leads to a high cumulative pregnancy rate for women who are otherwise fertile," she says. "Do not be scared by fertility statistics – many women conceive in their late thirties or forties if they do not have a separate fertility problem, but this may take longer – and some may not arrive. Understanding this helps to make other decisions. "

The preservation of eggs, she says, is an option under the right circumstances, but is not a guarantee and may not even be necessary. Plus, it's a big investment.

Aileen Feeney, Executive Director of the Fertility Network Charity Network, says the biologically optimal time to freeze her eggs before fertility begins to drop to 28 years old, wants to see the egg storage limit. gel for non-medical reasons exceeding the "arbitrary" 10-year limit.

She adds, "This would give women greater flexibility as to when to use their frozen eggs. However, freezing eggs should not be considered a fertility insurance policy, as this does not guarantee success. For example, the fertility of future partners must be taken into account, the eggs may not survive and the birth rates of frozen eggs are low. Clinics need to be transparent about these factors when their patients are considering freezing their eggs so that they can make an informed choice if egg freezing is the right decision for them.