The assumed reason women consider egg freezing is the fear or constant reminder of the biological clock. While it is true that age plays a large role on woman’s fertility, the primary motivation for women freezing, according to a study conducted by the governing body of reproductive medicine, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), is that women want to know they did everything they could to have a baby in the future and they don’t want to blame themselves later.
What Makes a Woman Freeze: The Momentum Behind Patients’ Desires to Undergo Elective Oocyte Cryopreservation
Published Monday, October 14, 2013
As stated in the study, elective oocyte cryopreservation – or egg freezing – can be costly, timely, and a complex venture that requires commitment and motivation from the patient. Furthermore, despite significant technological advances and encouraging success rate statistics, like nearly all medicine or treatment options, there is no guarantee of future fertility.
In spite of all of this, the number of patients electing to undergo egg freezing has increased, and specifically at Shady Grove Fertility, the number has doubled year over year. The goal of the study was to gain insight behind the increasing number of women electing to freeze their eggs as well as analyze the underlying factor motivating women to freeze.
Study Controls:
- 129 women interested in egg freezing
- Ages <35 to >40
- Each consulted by a psychologist between the years 2005-2012
- Each patient was asked to rank the following statements in order of importance:
- I feel pressured by my biological clock.
- I want to know I did everything I could; I don’t want to blame myself later.
- I think I will probably never need to use them, but want my eggs frozen just in case.
The results were clear. On average, 65 percent of the women interviewed elected to freeze their eggs with the desire to avoid future self-blame knowing they did everything they could. To the surprise of many, the ticking of the biological clock was a secondary goal. “Decisions surrounding reproduction, family and parenthood are complicated; elective oocyte cryopreservation empowers women to control their destiny.”
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Click here or call 1-877-411-9292 to schedule an egg freezing consultation.
