A woman’s chance to conceive decreases with age as her egg count depletes. In their early-to-mid twenties, every month females have a 20-25% chance to get pregnant. This drops significantly after the age of 35. By aged 40, the likelihood of conception is 2-5%, and there is a 50% chance of miscarriage.
Egg freezing is a procedure that gives you the option to conceive later down the line. You may choose to do so if the time isn’t right. You may also be dealing with a health condition or a different circumstance affecting your fertility.
Formally known as mature oocyte cryopreservation, egg freezing involves the extraction and freezing of unfertilised eggs from the ovaries. These can then be used at a later date for IVF (in vitro fertilisation), where eggs are inseminated with sperm and inserted into the uterus.
Freezing Your Eggs at A Young Age
This is a fertility treatment that women both young and old can opt for, however, it is more effective when done at an earlier age. The highest success rates are achieved by those that are 35 and under, but the most common age for the procedure is 38. This is due to higher egg quality.
Benefits
There are a number of reasons as to why you should consider freezing your eggs at a young age.
- It reduces the pressure to have children. This allows you to think carefully about your relationships and who you want to have children with.
You are able to establish your career as it provides a potential insurance policy. - Invasive medical treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, can affect your fertility. Egg freezing ensures that you have a reserve of eggs to use when you’re ready.
- Those that are transgender have the option to freeze their eggs.
As the procedure is more effective when carried out at a younger age, more eggs are able to be collected. This helps to keep costs low.
Points to Note
While the maximum storage period to keep eggs frozen in the UK has been extended to 55 years, you will need to renew your consent every 10 years. Without doing so, storage cannot lawfully continue. Any eggs kept must be disposed of or destroyed. This is why it is essential to make sure that the clinic that you are working with has up to date contact information.
While the future is difficult to predict, you should think about when you would like to start a family. If you’re in a pretty comfortable position and see yourself doing so in the near future and there are no factors affecting your fertility, the treatment may not add much value to you. Chances of getting pregnant are relatively high for young women and the treatment will only put you under an unnecessary invasive procedure.
Feel free to contact a member of our expert team to learn more about this treatment and whether you would be a suitable candidate.
