With each passing year, fertility specialists continue to make advancements in reproductive medicine. Every month this year, we want to keep you updated on the latest news in fertility treatments. To start, we’ll discuss everything you need to know if you’re considering egg freezing to preserve your fertility.
The History of Egg Freezing
Historically, the egg freezing process was meant for medical purposes. Doctors recommended cancer patients to freeze their eggs before undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Such cancer treatments could possibly damage a woman’s eggs, causing infertility. But, with the choice to freeze their eggs, women could preserve their healthy eggs and use them at a later time after treatment. The process of freezing eggs for such medical reasons has been available for about three decades.
Advancements in the Egg Freezing Process
Some older egg freezing techniques were unsuccessful. The old freezing process caused crystals to form in the egg cell, which damaged the cell. After these eggs had been thawed, they were not useful in creating a pregnancy.
Lately, fertility specialists have started using a process called vitrification to freeze eggs. This process freezes the eggs so quickly the troublesome crystals cannot form. In 2012 after the advancement of this process, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) announced that egg freezing was no longer an experimental procedure. They also declared vitrified eggs were similar to fresh eggs in their ability to create a pregnancy.
Growing popularity of freezing eggs for later pregnancy
After this ASRM announcement, there became a higher interest in freezing eggs for later pregnancy. Specialists predict the process will become even more popular as technology continues to advance and the egg freezing cost begins to drop. Also, more companies, like Apple and Facebook, are offering their employees insurance coverage for egg freezing.
Throughout the last decade, the reproductive medicine community has made improvement in egg freezing technology, resulting in higher egg freezing success rates and more pregnancies. We can now offer egg freezing to women for elective reasons, as opposed to solely medical reasons. We are opening up the market to women concerned about their declining fertility—and not just cancer patients.
In 2013, around 4,000 women froze their eggs, which showed an increase of 2,500 from 2012. Women can have their eggs frozen for years until they’re ready to become pregnant. The egg freezing process is gaining popularity with women who are focusing on their career and single women who have not found a partner to start a family with.
Learn More about Our Egg Freezing Services
The egg freezing process can now not only help women undergoing cancer treatment, but also women who are concerned about their biological clock. Doctors claim the best age to freeze eggs is during your 20s or early 30s. To learn more about egg freezing at The Fertility Center of Las Vegas, read our online resources or contact us for a consultation.
