Social Freezing: Pressing Pause on Fertility

Valentin Nicolae Varlas, Roxana Georgiana Bors, Dragos Albu, Ovidiu Nicolae Penes, Bogdana Adriana Nasui, Claudia Mehedintu and Anca Lucia Pop
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Valentin Nicolae Varlas: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011171 Bucharest, Romania
Roxana Georgiana Bors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011171 Bucharest, Romania
Dragos Albu: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011171 Bucharest, Romania
Ovidiu Nicolae Penes: Department of Intensive Care, University Clinical Hospital, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 37 Dionisie Lupu St., 020021 Bucharest, Romania
Bogdana Adriana Nasui: Department of Community Health, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Claudia Mehedintu: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nicolae Malaxa Clinical Hospital, 020346 Bucharest, Romania
Anca Lucia Pop: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Food Safety, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020945 Bucharest, Romania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: Increasing numbers of women are undergoing oocyte or tissue cryopreservation for medical or social reasons to increase their chances of having genetic children. Social egg freezing (SEF) allows women to preserve their fertility in anticipation of age-related fertility decline and ineffective fertility treatments at older ages. The purpose of this study was to summarize recent findings focusing on the challenges of elective egg freezing. We performed a systematic literature review on social egg freezing published during the last ten years. From the systematically screened literature, we identified and analyzed five main topics of interest during the last decade: (a) different fertility preservation techniques, (b) safety of freezing, (c) usage rate of frozen oocytes, (d) ethical considerations, and (e) cost-effectiveness of SEF. Fertility can be preserved for non-medical reasons through oocyte, embryos, or ovarian tissue cryopreservation, with oocyte vitrification being a new and optimal approach. Elective oocyte cryopreservation is better accepted, supports social gender equality, and enhances women’s reproductive autonomy. Despite controversies, planned oocyte cryopreservation appears as a chosen strategy against age-related infertility and may allow women to feel that they are more socially, psychologically, and financially stable before motherhood.

Keywords: social egg freezing; elective egg freezing; oocyte cryopreservation; fertility preservation; age-related infertility; oocyte vitrification; delayed childbearing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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