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Fertility preservation & assisted reproduction

Fertility 
preservation

& assisted reproduction

Who is suitable for egg freezing?

Egg freezing has existed for decades and was originally developed for women undergoing medical treatment that might threaten their future fertility, such as chemotherapy.

Now, though, the procedure is also being used by women for many other reasons. Women today are more aware that fertility begins to decline in their early 30s but aren’t in a position to start a family at that time. This can be for any reason – you may need to focus on your career, education or travel first. You may want to wait until you have a stable relationship and home before starting a family. You may simply be unsure whether you’ll ever want children and want to give yourself a back-up option for the future.

However, egg freezing isn’t for everyone. Generally, you’ve got a better chance of successful egg freezing if:

  • Your BMI is between 19 and 25. Some clinics may not consider you if your BMI is very much higher than this
  • Your menstrual cycle is reasonably regular – a long or short cycle isn’t an issue if it’s normal for you, but very irregular periods might be a sign of something else going on
  • You are fit and well
  • You are aged under 35 - ideally under 30. The quality of eggs declines over time, so the younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the higher the chances of each egg producing a healthy baby

Who is suitable for egg freezing?

Egg freezing has existed for decades and was originally developed for women undergoing medical treatment that might threaten their future fertility, such as chemotherapy.

Now, though, the procedure is also being used by women for many other reasons. Women today are more aware that fertility begins to decline in their early 30s but aren’t in a position to start a family at that time. This can be for any reason – you may need to focus on your career, education or travel first. You may want to wait until you have a stable relationship and home before starting a family. You may simply be unsure whether you’ll ever want children and want to give yourself a back-up option for the future.
However, egg freezing isn’t for everyone. Generally, you’ve got a better chance of successful egg freezing if:
  • Your BMI is between 19 and 25. Some clinics may not consider you if your BMI is very much higher than this
  • Your menstrual cycle is reasonably regular – a long or short cycle isn’t an issue if it’s normal for you, but very irregular periods might be a sign of something else going on
  • You are fit and well
  • You are aged under 35 - ideally under 30. The quality of eggs declines over time, so the younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the higher the chances of each egg producing a healthy baby

Fertility Age

Calculator

How does age affect your fertility?

References

  • Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Egg freezing – information for patients. Available at: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/egg-freezing-information-for-patients/. Last accessed: July 2024.
  • Chen C. Pregnancy after human oocyte cryopreservation. [Abstract]. The Lancet. 1986;327(8486):884-886.
  • Gook DA. History of oocyte preservation. Reproduct BioMed Online. 2011;23:281-289.
  • Perry. Molecular insights into the aetiology of reproductive ageing in females. Nat Rev Endocrin. 2015;11(12):725-734.
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