Egg freezing has become an increasingly popular option for women seeking to preserve their fertility, with around 20,000 women in the US having frozen their eggs or embryos. The process involves hormone therapy, egg retrieval, and storage in cryogenic tanks, where eggs can be kept for up to 25 years at an annual cost of about $100.
Since the introduction of vitrification in 2012, a rapid freezing technique that prevents ice crystal formation, survival rates for thawed eggs have improved to around 90%, comparable to the 95% survival rate for embryos. However, experts caution that egg freezing is more like 'hedging your bets' than a guaranteed insurance policy, as recent tank failures at clinics in Cleveland and San Francisco have demonstrated, destroying over 1,000 families' frozen eggs and embryos.
The retrieval process is considered safe but can be painful, involving months of hormone injections and frequent blood tests to stimulate egg production. Alicia Trapini, who froze her eggs at age 29, describes the experience as 'long and arduous,' but views her six frozen eggs as a 'plan B' rather than her only hope for children.
Egg freezing was initially offered primarily to women with medical conditions, such as cancer patients facing chemotherapy. Today, more women like Trapini, who are single and not ready for children, are opting to freeze their eggs to preserve future fertility options. The first pregnancy from a frozen egg was reported in 1986, and the technology continues to evolve.
