Reproductive biomedicine online
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Reprod. Biomed. Online · Sep 2011
ReviewSocial egg freezing: the prospect of reproductive 'immortality' or a dangerous delusion?
Until recently there was little to offer young women with cancer facing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery and the probability of premature menopause and sterility. The first 'frozen egg' baby was born in 1986, but success rates were so low that egg freezing was neglected. Three technological developments in assisted reproduction treatment (intracytoplasmic sperm injection, dehydro-cryoprotectants and vitrification) have transformed this picture and now young women with frozen eggs have the same probability of a live birth per embryo transfer as women undergoing conventional IVF. ⋯ Donor eggs are not an option for many because of supply constraints and ethical and cultural concerns. Freezing a woman's eggs at age 30 literally 'freezes in time' her fertility potential and gives her the chance of a healthy pregnancy at a time of her choosing. This paper discusses the role of oocyte cryopreservation in the context of social egg freezing.