The marketing of elective egg freezing: A content, cost and quality analysis of UK fertility clinic websites

Gürtin, Zeynep B.; Tiemann, Emily

doi:10.1016/j.rbms.2020.10.004

Cited by 34 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Virtually any fertility clinic can claim that they can freeze women's oocytes for a couple of thousands of euros. There is very little legal regulation of the egg freezing practice (Gürtin and Tiemann, 2021). In our opinion, laboratories ought to be subject to audits to control their quality standards and to check their procedures and results, and caution is needed to prevent laboratories with low oocyte survival rates and poor success rates from advertising themselves while their "clients" may be unaware of the poor performance.…”

Section: Lack Of Control On Laboratories With Suboptimal Results and ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Oocyte vitrification for elective fertility preservation: a SWOT analysis

Gil-Arribas¹,

Blockeel

Pennings

et al. 2022

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

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Section: Lack Of Control On Laboratories With Suboptimal Results and ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Oocyte vitrification for elective fertility preservation: a SWOT analysis

Gil-Arribas¹,

Blockeel

Pennings

et al. 2022

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

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“…This process added decision stress for some participants because of the administrative burden, a burden that could easily be avoided if clear information could be provided—for example, on clinic websites or during consultations. Other studies have also indicated it is particularly worrying that pricing information is usually unclear [ 46 , 47 ]. Greater transparency and in particular standardised presentation of reimbursement options could remedy that.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘I feel that injustice is being done to me’: a qualitative study of women’s viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for social egg freezing

Proost

Coene

Nekkebroeck³

et al. 2022

BMC Med Ethics

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Background During the last decade, the possibility for women to cryopreserve oocytes in anticipation of age-related fertility loss, also referred to as social egg freezing, has become an established practice at fertility clinics around the globe. In Europe, there is extensive variation in the costs for this procedure, with the common denominator that there are almost no funding arrangements or reimbursement policies. This is the first qualitative study that specifically explores viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for women who had considered to uptake at least one social egg freezing cycle in Belgium. Methods To understand the moral considerations of these women, drawing from twenty-one interviews, this paper integrates elements of a symbiotic empirical ethics approach and thematic analysis. Results We identify four themes: (1) being confronted with unclear information; (2) financial costs as ongoing concern; (3) necessity of coverage; (4) extent of reimbursement. In the first theme, we found that some women were concerned about the lack of clear information about the cost of social egg freezing. In the second theme, we report moral sentiments of injustice and discrimination which some women attributed to their struggles and needs not being recognised. The third theme illustrates diverse views on reimbursement, ranging from viewing social egg freezing as an elective treatment not appropriate for reimbursement to preferences for greater public responsibility and wider access. Finally, we describe the participants’ varying proposals for partial reimbursement and the idea that it should not be made available for free. Conclusions This research adds important empirical insights to the bioethics debate on social egg freezing, in particular by presenting (potential) users’ views on the lack of reimbursement. While there is much more to say about the ethical and political complexities of the reimbursement of this procedure, our study highlighted the voices of (potential) users and showed that at least some of them would welcome the coverage of SEF through the public healthcare insurance.

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“…This process added decision stress for some participants because of the administrative burden, a burden that could easily be avoided if clear information could be provided -for example, on clinic websites or during consultations. Other studies have also indicated it is particularly worrying that pricing information is usually unclear [36,37]. Greater transparency and in particular standardised presentation of reimbursement options could remedy that.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘I feel that injustice is being done to me’: a qualitative study of women’s viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for social egg freezing

Proost

Coene

Nekkebroeck

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background During the last decade, the possibility for women to cryopreserve oocytes in anticipation of age-related fertility loss, also referred to as social egg freezing, has become an established practice at fertility clinics around the globe. In Europe, there is extensive variation in the costs for this procedure, with the common denominator that there are almost no funding arrangements or reimbursement policies. This is the first qualitative study that specifically explores viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for women who had considered to uptake at least one social egg freezing cycle in Belgium. Methods To understand the moral considerations of these women, drawing from twenty-one interviews, this paper integrates elements of a symbiotic empirical ethics approach and thematic analysis. Results We identify three themes: (1) From ongoing concern to non-issue; (2) Negotiating the reimbursement for social egg freezing; (3) From fully out-of-pocket to (partial) free good. In the first theme, we found that some women were concerned about the cost of social egg freezing and the lack of clear information about it. Furthermore, they reported moral sentiments of injustice which they attributed to their lack of acknowledgement for their struggles and needs. Other women perceived the reimbursement controversy of social egg freezing as something far removed from their lived experience. The second theme illustrates diverse views on reimbursement, ranging from viewing social egg freezing as an elective treatment unbefitting reimbursement to preferences for greater public responsibility and wider access. Finally, we describe the participants’ varying proposals for partial reimbursement and the idea that it should not be made available for free. Conclusions This research adds important empirical insights to the bioethics debate on social egg freezing, in particular by presenting (potential) users’ views on the lack of reimbursement. Based on our results, it seems an oversimplification to portray social egg freezers as merely affluent women who are not concerned about the coverage of egg freezing costs. While there is much more to say about the ethical and political complexities of the reimbursement of this procedure, our study highlighted the voices of (potential) users and showed that at least some of them express a preference or a need for reimbursement.

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The marketing of elective egg freezing: A content, cost and quality analysis of UK fertility clinic websites

Cited by 34 publications

References 47 publications

Oocyte vitrification for elective fertility preservation: a SWOT analysis

Oocyte vitrification for elective fertility preservation: a SWOT analysis

‘I feel that injustice is being done to me’: a qualitative study of women’s viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for social egg freezing

‘I feel that injustice is being done to me’: a qualitative study of women’s viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for social egg freezing

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