Medical and social egg freezing: internet‐based survey of knowledge and attitudes among women in Denmark and the <scp>UK</scp>

Lallemant, Camille; Vassard, Ditte; Andersen, Anders Nyboe; Schmidt, Lone; Macklon, Nick S.

doi:10.1111/aogs.13024

Cited by 57 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Oocyte cryopreservation on medical grounds is indisputably an advantageous linear solution and well-accepted socially [ 80 ]. From a medical, psychological and bioethical stand point, oocyte freezing for nonmedical reasons raises controversy within the scientific community due to the multifaceted underlying reasons evoking it.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postponing Pregnancy Through Oocyte Cryopreservation for Social Reasons: Considerations Regarding Clinical Practice and the Socio-Psychological and Bioethical Issues Involved

Simopoulou

Sfakianoudis²,

Bakas

et al. 2018

Medicina

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Oocyte freezing for ‘social reasons’ refers to women of reproductive age who are aiming to prolong, protect and secure their fertility. The term emerged to describe application of the highly promising technique, namely vitrification on oocytes retrieved through controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) from women intending to preserve their fertility for social reasons. These women opt to cryopreserve their oocytes at a point in their life when they need to postpone childbearing on the grounds of so called ‘social’ reasons. These reasons may include a highly driven career, absence of an adequate partner, financial instability, or personal reasons that make them feel unprepared for motherhood. This is a sensitive and multifaceted issue that entails medical, bioethical and socio-psychological components. The latest trend and the apparent increase noted on oocyte freezing for ‘social reasons’ has prompted our team of fertility specialists, embryologists, obstetricians, gynecologists and psychologists to proceed with a thorough, critical and all-inclusive comprehensive analysis. The wide range of findings of this analysis involve concerns of embryology and epigenetics that shape decisions made in the IVF laboratory, issues regarding obstetric and perinatal concerns on the pregnancy concluding from these oocytes and the respective delivery management and neonatal data, to the social and bioethical impact of this trend’s application. This literature review refers to matters rising from the moment the ‘idea’ of this option is ‘birthed’ in a woman’s thoughts, to proceeding and executing it clinically, up until the point of the pediatric follow up of the children born. We aim to shed light to the controversial issue of oocyte freezing, while objectively exhibit all aspects regarding this complex matter, as well as to respectfully approach how could the prospect of our future expectations be shaped from the impact of its application.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postponing Pregnancy Through Oocyte Cryopreservation for Social Reasons: Considerations Regarding Clinical Practice and the Socio-Psychological and Bioethical Issues Involved

Simopoulou

Sfakianoudis²,

Bakas

et al. 2018

Medicina

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“…Even in populations that have a good understanding of age‐related infertility, women continue to defer childbearing . In a survey of over 1000 women in the UK and Denmark, 89% considered reproductive planning to be an acceptable indication for SEF . These positive attitudes towards SEF are reflected by an almost threefold increase in the number of eggs frozen in the UK, from 2476 in 2008 to 7047 in 2013 .…”

Section: Social Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dawn of a new ice age: social egg freezing

Jones

Saso

Mania

et al. 2018

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand

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Given the age-related decline in ovarian reserve and oocyte quality, it is unsurprising the global trend of deferring motherhood has resulted in increased levels of involuntary childlessness. The development of oocyte vitrification, with pregnancy and livebirth rates now comparable to using fresh oocytes, has provided an opportunity to cryopreserve oocytes electively for future use, empowering women with the capacity to delay their childbearing years. While it enhances reproductive autonomy, age-related obstetric complications, economic implications and the risk of unsuccessful future treatment make this a controversial therapeutic option. However, some women have no reasonable alternative, such as single women approaching their late thirties, in whom egg freezing, although not a guarantee against involuntary childlessness, offers hope by extending the window of opportunity to find a partner. Given the upward trend in women electively cryopreserving their eggs, it would appear that a new ice age, from a fertility perspective, is upon us.

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“…Social, personal, educational and financial pressures often lead women to delay starting a family until the late thirties, by which time the chance of getting pregnant is compromised by low fecundity rates and an increased risk of miscarriage if they become pregnant. In an internet-based survey on knowledge and attitudes of women towards social egg freezing in UK and Denmark, it was found that 83% women were aware about egg freezing option and 89% considered it acceptable for social reasons [70]. Characteristics significantly limited to the intention of egg freezing included being single, age under 35 years, childlessness and a history of infertility.…”

Section: Social Egg Freezing- Race Against Time or Smoke And Mirrors?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Age and oocyte yield have a substantial effect on the pregnancy prospects in such patients [70]. The existing studies and research do not offer any clear – cut guidelines for clinical handling.…”

Section: The Problem Of Poor Ovarian Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Fertility with early reduction of ovarian reserve: the last straw that breaks the Camel’s back

Rasool¹

2017

Fertil Res and Pract

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Diminished fertility and poor ovarian response pose a conundrum to the experts in the field of reproductive medicine. There is limited knowledge about the risk factors of diminished ovarian reserve other than the iatrogenic ones. One of the leading causes of infertility in women today is diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). DOR is characterized by a low number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries and/or with poor quality of the remaining eggs, which boils down to impaired development of the existing eggs, even with assisted reproductive techniques. A good number of such women with low ovarian reserve may conceive with their own eggs, if they are given individualized treatment that is tailored for their profile. Such patients should be counseled appropriately for an aggressive approach towards achieving fertility. The sooner the treatment is started, the better the chances of pregnancy.

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Medical and social egg freezing: internet‐based survey of knowledge and attitudes among women in Denmark and the UK

Cited by 57 publications

References 17 publications

Postponing Pregnancy Through Oocyte Cryopreservation for Social Reasons: Considerations Regarding Clinical Practice and the Socio-Psychological and Bioethical Issues Involved

Postponing Pregnancy Through Oocyte Cryopreservation for Social Reasons: Considerations Regarding Clinical Practice and the Socio-Psychological and Bioethical Issues Involved

The dawn of a new ice age: social egg freezing

Fertility with early reduction of ovarian reserve: the last straw that breaks the Camel’s back

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