Female Fertility Preservation

What is Female Fertility Preservation?
Why Consider?
Methods of Fertility Preservation
Fertility Preservation for Medical Reasons
What Happens After Fertility Preservation?
Benefits

What is Female Fertility Preservation?

Female fertility preservation offers women the opportunity to safeguard their reproductive potential by freezing their eggs or embryos for future use. This option is especially valuable for women who wish to delay pregnancy for personal or medical reasons, ensuring that they can still pursue parenthood when they are ready.

Why Consider Fertility Preservation?

There are several scenarios in which women might consider fertility preservation:

    1. Age-Related Fertility Decline:
      • A woman’s fertility naturally decreases with age, particularly after the age of 35. Freezing eggs at a younger age helps preserve healthy eggs for use later in life when fertility may have declined.
    2. Medical Treatments:
      • Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery for conditions like cancer can negatively affect fertility. Fertility preservation ensures that women have the option to conceive once they have recovered from their medical treatments.
    3. Personal or Professional Reasons:
      • Some women may wish to delay pregnancy for career or educational reasons, or they may want to wait until they are in a stable relationship. Fertility preservation gives them the flexibility to plan their family when the time is right.
    4. Family Planning:
      • Women who are not ready to have children but are concerned about the ticking “biological clock” may choose to freeze their eggs to keep their options open for the future.

Methods of Fertility Preservation

There are two primary methods of fertility preservation:

1. Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation)

Egg freezing is a procedure where a woman’s eggs are harvested, frozen, and stored for future use. This process allows women to preserve their fertility and use their eggs when they are ready to conceive, even if their natural fertility has declined by that time.

The Egg Freezing Process:

  • Ovarian Stimulation: Hormonal medications are administered to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs.
  • Egg Retrieval: Once the eggs have matured, they are collected through a minor surgical procedure.
  • Freezing: The eggs are rapidly frozen using a technique called vitrification, which prevents ice crystals from forming and damaging the eggs.
  • Storage: The eggs are stored in a specialised facility until the woman is ready to use them for IVF or other fertility treatments.

Who Should Consider Egg Freezing?

  • Women in their 20s or 30s who want to delay pregnancy.
  • Women diagnosed with conditions that may affect their fertility, such as endometriosis or premature ovarian failure.
  • Women undergoing medical treatments (e.g., chemotherapy) that could impair fertility.
  • Women with a family history of early menopause.

2. Embryo Freezing

Embryo freezing involves fertilising a woman’s eggs with sperm to create embryos, which are then frozen for future use. This method is commonly used by women who are undergoing IVF treatment and wish to preserve embryos for subsequent pregnancy attempts.

The Embryo Freezing Process:

  • Ovarian Stimulation & Egg Retrieval: The process begins with ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, just like with egg freezing.
  • Fertilisation: The retrieved eggs are fertilised with sperm from a partner or donor in a laboratory to create embryos.
  • Freezing & Storage: The embryos are frozen using vitrification and stored until the woman is ready to have them transferred into her uterus during an IVF cycle.

Who Should Consider Embryo Freezing?

    • Women undergoing IVF who wish to preserve extra embryos for future use.
    • Couples who want to delay parenthood but plan to conceive using embryos later.
    • Women undergoing medical treatments that could affect future fertility.

Fertility Preservation for Medical Reasons

Women facing life-altering medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer, may experience damage to their ovaries and a decrease in their reproductive capabilities. Fertility preservation before undergoing such treatments ensures that these women have the opportunity to conceive later.

When is Fertility Preservation Recommended for Medical Reasons?

    • Before cancer treatments, including chemotherapy or radiation.
    • Prior to surgery affecting the reproductive organs.
    • For women with autoimmune diseases or other medical conditions that may impair fertility.

What Happens After Fertility Preservation?

Once eggs or embryos have been frozen, they can remain safely stored for many years. When the woman decides she is ready to conceive, the eggs or embryos can be thawed and used in an IVF cycle. For egg freezing, the thawed eggs will be fertilised with sperm to create embryos before they are transferred to the uterus.

Benefits of Fertility Preservation

  1. Flexibility: Fertility preservation offers women the freedom to delay pregnancy while maintaining the potential for future conception.
  2. Peace of Mind: Knowing that eggs or embryos are stored for future use can provide reassurance for women facing fertility decline or medical treatments.
  3. Increased Success Rates: By freezing eggs or embryos at a younger age, women increase their chances of successful conception later in life.
  4. Tailored Solutions: Fertility preservation options can be tailored to meet your specific medical, personal, or professional needs.