What makes a woman freeze: the impetus behind patients’ desires to undergo elective oocyte cryopreservation

Witkin, G.; Tran, Anh N.; Lee, J.A.; Schuman, L.; Grunfeld, L.; Knopman, J.M.

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.07.1752

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…The limited body of literature which has examined women's motivations for social egg freezing has identified the importance women place on pursuing parenthood with a male partner who is committed and ready for children (Witkin et al, 2013). This literature has also noted the pivotal role egg freezing plays in the construction of a future family where women desired a shared genetic relation with between themselves, their future partner and the future child (Waldby 2015b;Romain 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date little empirical research has been undertaken on the topic of social egg freezing and very few studies have qualitatively examined women's motivations for and experiences of egg freezing for social reasons (Baldwin et al 2014). Instead much of the existing research on egg freezing comes from data generated for purposes other than research, such as clinical audits of past or prospective users (Klein et al2006;Knopman et al 2008;Sage et al 2008) as well as from retrospective analyses of existing clinic data such as psychological consultations (Gold et al 2006;Schuman et al 2011;Witkin et al 2013;Stoop et al 2015). As such, these data are only able to provide limited insight into the phenomena of social egg freezing.…”

Section: Women's Motivations From Social Egg Freezingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘I Suppose I Think to Myself, That's the Best Way to Be a Mother’: How Ideologies of Parenthood Shape Women's Use of Social Egg Freezing Technology

Baldwin

2017

Sociological Research Online

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The age distribution of women giving birth in England and Wales, as well as many other Western countries, has changed significantly in recent decades with growing numbers of women having children later in their reproductive lives. However, motherhood at an older age is positively associated with greater risks to mother and child including complications during pregnancy and birth as well as an increased risk of age-related infertility. In response to the increasing numbers of women attempting childbearing at an older age, a new form of technology has emerged, one which has the promissory potential to enable women to preserve a number of healthy young eggs for potential future use after the decline of their nature fertility. This technology is egg freezing, or as it is often referred, egg freezing for social reasons. This paper will examine the technology of egg freezing and its use for social reasons and will argue that current lay and media representations of this technology which infer a deliberative ‘choice’ on behalf of the user to delay motherhood, to pursue career advancement, does not adequately or accurately reflect the experiences of women engaging with this technology. Instead, and by drawing on data collected in 31 interviews with female users of this technology, this paper will suggest that women's decision to engage in egg freezing as well as their perceptions about the timing of motherhood can be seen as being shaped by contemporary parenting culture and ideologies of parenthood. Furthermore, this paper will examine how these ideologies and expectations about parenthood are shaped by the demographic profile of the users of this technology.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Women's Motivations From Social Egg Freezingmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘I Suppose I Think to Myself, That's the Best Way to Be a Mother’: How Ideologies of Parenthood Shape Women's Use of Social Egg Freezing Technology

Baldwin

2017

Sociological Research Online

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“…3,14,15 Other reasons include a desire to postpone childbearing while completing one's education or while focusing on career advancement. Still other reasons include a desire to postpone childbearing until women feel they have reached a sufficient level of maturity, financial stability, or emotional support.…”

Section: Nonmedical Reasonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19 In fact, there is already evidence from an empirical study of women's motivations that a major impetus for eggfreezing is the avoidance of self-blame: "I want to know I did everything I could and not blame myself later". 14 Arguments that oppose egg freezing, or at least find it sufficiently problematic to justify restricting in some way, often identify harms believed to be significant enough to warrant limiting individual autonomy. First among these would be harms to women themselves, including raising false hopes and commercial exploitation.…”

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confidence: 99%

On the ethics of social egg freezing and fertility preservation for nonmedical reasons

Harwood

2015

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Abstract:The practice of egg freezing reached a new milestone in 2012, when the American Society for Reproductive Medicine removed its designation as "experimental". Studies of the safety and efficacy of egg freezing led the ASRM to recommend egg freezing for patients facing infertility due to gonadotoxic therapies, but prompted continued caution against egg freezing when undertaken for nonmedical reasons. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has more explicitly supported nonmedical egg freezing. Ethical debate about nonmedical egg freezing raises many familiar issues, including the limits of individual autonomy when a medical technology is used for an elective reason. Concerns include commercial exploitation, pressure on women to use egg freezing, and the overall impact of egg freezing on sex inequality and professional norms. The ethical debate also calls for a more careful consideration of whether age-related fertility decline should count as a medical justification for fertility preservation. In lieu of broad consensus on these matters, this paper recommends honoring the principle of autonomy while insisting on better information about utilization and outcomes. Given the significant drop-off in success rates for women who attempt egg freezing when they are older than 38 years, full disclosure in the informed consent process must involve information about success rates by age-group. Much greater consistency and thoroughness in reporting would yield better and more generalizable data.

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Egg Freezing and the Feminist Quest for Equality in the Workplace

Harwood

2017

Reproductive Ethics

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What makes a woman freeze: the impetus behind patients’ desires to undergo elective oocyte cryopreservation

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

‘I Suppose I Think to Myself, That's the Best Way to Be a Mother’: How Ideologies of Parenthood Shape Women's Use of Social Egg Freezing Technology

‘I Suppose I Think to Myself, That's the Best Way to Be a Mother’: How Ideologies of Parenthood Shape Women's Use of Social Egg Freezing Technology

On the ethics of social egg freezing and fertility preservation for nonmedical reasons

Egg Freezing and the Feminist Quest for Equality in the Workplace

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