Last week, NPR’s Eliza Barclay, who regularly provides lengthy coverage of the rise in popularity of egg freezing, sought to answer the question asked about the increasing rate of women freezing eggs, “will they ever use them?”
With millions of thirty-something women in the workforce Eric A. Widra, M.D., Shady Grove Fertility’s Medical Director, told NPR, “This is clearly a time where the technological ability to do this is converging with the demographics. There are more and more women who find themselves in a situation where they may potentially benefit from having their eggs frozen.” Barclay dives into the success rates of egg freezing, costs, and emotional benefits to find answers.
The Cost of Freezing Eggs
At the monthly egg freezing seminars hosted by Shady Grove Fertility, we have learned that cost is a concern of women who are interested in freezing their eggs. On average, women ages 37 and younger with normal ovarian reserve will produce about 13 quality eggs per cycle, so most women will need to undergo at least two cycles to garner the recommended 15 to 20 mature eggs. Realizing the financial concerns, we have crafted exclusive financial programs that make egg freezing accessible to more women. The first step in making the decision to freeze is to know medically if it is a good option for you. This is determined through ovarian reserve testing and a physician consultation, which is just $325, with 90 percent of patients with insurance having coverage. In addition to increased access to testing, Shady Grove Fertility created the first guarantee program for egg freezing, Assure Fertility.
Egg Freezing Offers Women the Opportunity to Find the Right Partner
In her research, Barclay found that more women are freezing because they haven’t found the right partner yet. According to medical anthropologist Marcia Inhron at Yale University, “The vast majority [of women] say, ‘It’s given me peace of mind, I feel a sense of relief, it’s taken the pressure off of me to rush into a relationship with someone who isn’t’ right.’” Inhorn also found that the majority of the women are professional and the major reason they are freezing is because they haven’t found the right person to embark on partnership and parenthood.
Pregnancy Rates from Egg Freezing at Shady Grove Fertility are Promising
Because women started electively freezing in 2012 there hasn’t been a lot of time to know the medical answers. At Shady Grove Fertility, we have found that it takes about 2.5 years for women to come back to use their frozen eggs, we have also found that pregnancy rates are very promising.
Is egg freezing is really necessary?
It’s a personal choice. Some women find comfort in the peace of mind knowing that they did everything possible to extend their fertility potential; it is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Listen to the NPR article More Women Are Freezing Their Eggs, But Will They Ever Use Them? or if you are interested in learning more about egg freezing, please call 1-877-411-9292 or fill out this brief form to schedule an appointment.
