There is a lot out there right now in the traditional and social media about egg freezing. In fact just this past weekend The Boston Globe entered the conversation with a piece called “The Big Thaw”. Actually – it’s really all about the” Big Freeze” right now in fertility preservation technology. That’s the issue. There isn’t a lot of actually thawing going on in real live patients.  And that’s primary because of who needs egg freezing in the first place.  The women who are freezing their eggs – are usually cancer patients who are not ready to build their families (sometimes not for quite some time) and women who are facing the end of their biological potential who are not ready or able to start their families yet.  What that means is a lot of hope on ice.  And let’s be clear that is exactly what it is – hope.

But is that any different than anyone else accessing reproductive technologies ever?  Yes – we know more today about IVF success rates than we ever did – but that has taken time. Back in the day – when I did IVF -all we had was hope. We were being given a chance at hope – at possibility. But we weren’t discouraged from taking that chance – as I think women are in some circles  being discouraged from egg freezing because it is still experimental. I wonder if I would have done IVF when I was a going through infertility – if ASRM had released a statement about it being so unproven when I was a patient.

If I was a patient facing cancer – or a woman nearing the ledge of fertility decline (not yet ready or able to build my family) – and I knew that I wanted children someday – I would absolutely freeze my eggs today.   Yes – women need to be told that this is not an insurance policy – that this is experimental – and they need to be consented. But egg freezing holds real promise – and for those women who are at a place in their lives where it is take a chance or no chance – I would look them straight in the eye and say go for it.

We already know what not trying will give you – so why reach for the chance?

Posted under Egg Freezing, Fertility, Fertility Preservation