Majority of women who freeze their eggs do not come back to use them, study suggests
Less than a third of women who freeze their eggs return to use them, a new study has shown, as scientists caution against the idea of fertility “insurance policy”.
The study, conducted by researchers from Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, found that of the 843 participants who had chosen to have their eggs frozen, only around a quarter – 27 per cent – returned to the centre for treatment. Their average age when they returned was 40.
Of those who did return for fertility treatment less than half – 48 per cent – opted to use their frozen eggs. While some had intrauterine insemination, others went for other fertility treatments such as IVF.
Further analysis revealed the average age of the women using frozen eggs was 42, while the women using fresh eggs were around three years younger.
“Increasing numbers of women are choosing to freeze their eggs in the hope that it will enable them to have children later in life,” said Dr Ezgi Darici, a clinical fellow at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel.
“However, this can be an expensive choice and there is a lack of evidence to show how useful it is.
“We found that many women who chose to freeze eggs in their 30s had not yet returned for fertility treatment. Among those who did return for treatment, around half used their frozen eggs. These were older women on average.”
More people than ever before are having fertility treatment with new data showing a steep increase in egg freezing and fertility preservation cycles.
According to the Fertility Treatment 2021: Preliminary Trends and Figures report, more than 4,000 women froze their eggs in the UK in 2021 compared to 2,500 in 2019.
“Egg freezing is one of the fastest growing fertility treatments in the UK, increasing from 373 cycles in 2011 to 4,215 in 2021,” said Clare Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs at the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA).
“However, as researchers have shown in Belgium, we know that very few patients come back to use their eggs in the UK too.
“While egg freezing is becoming a popular choice, it’s not an insurance policy that can guarantee a baby in the future.
“Clinics have a responsibility to ensure anyone using fertility services understand the optimum age for freezing, the success rates as well as the risks.”
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