Egg freezing is a way to preserve your fertility. According to the HFEA’s Preliminary Trends and Figures Report 2022, egg freezing increased by 81% from 2019 to 2022 and accounted for 5% of all cycles of IVF and donor insemination that year.
Here, we’ll explore all you need to know about egg freezing.
In this article:
- What is egg freezing?
- How much does egg freezing cost?
- Why freeze your eggs?
- What to do with any remaining eggs?
What is egg freezing?
Egg freezing gives those who may not yet be ready to start a family the option to freeze their eggs to use in the future. It involves stimulating the ovaries to mature eggs, so they are ready to collect and then freezing them in a laboratory using fast freezing technology.
There’s a few bits of information and consent, you’ll need to provide for the clinic, including:
- How many eggs will be frozen and stored
- How long your eggs will be stored for
- What is to happen if the storage time expires
- What is to happen if you die or become too ill to make decisions, whilst your embryos are stored
- If the embryos are to only be used for your fertility treatment, or can be donated
When you want to use your eggs, they will be thawed and fertilised using ICSI treatment. This is so the sperm can penetrate the tougher outer egg coating.
How much does egg freezing cost?
In the UK, it costs around £3,350 to have your eggs collected and frozen, excluding medication, which is an additional £500-£1,500. The price to store your eggs can vary between £125-£350. You can store your eggs, to use in treatment for up to a maximum of 55 years from the date that they were placed in storage. Today it would cost approximately £2500 to thaw and transfer your eggs to the womb.
Why freeze your eggs?
Egg freezing might be right for you if:
- You are being treated for or may need treatment for a medical condition that affects your fertility
- You want to preserve your eggs until you’re ready to have a child
- You’re a trans man and want to preserve your fertility before beginning to medically transition
What to do with any remaining eggs?
If you have any frozen eggs remaining, that you don’t want to use, there are several options available. You can:
- Donate them to another patient
- Donate them for medical training
- Donate them for research
- Dispose of them