What’s the Difference Between Social and Medical Egg Freezing?

More and more women have been opting to take control of their reproductive health and fertility and start their families later in life—often through methods such as egg freezing. In fact, recent data from the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology shows that in 2019, 15,829 American women froze their eggs. This represents a significant increase where in the ten years prior, only 475 women in 2009 froze their eggs. In a recent interview with National Geographic, Dr. Hill answers, “What’s the difference between social and medical egg freezing?” Here are some excerpts of Dr. Hill’s interview with National Geographic:

Egg Freezing Success Rates

There are many factors that can impact egg freezing success rates, but the most significant is age. Studies have shown that the older women are when they freeze their eggs, the probability of getting pregnant later on decreases. The overall number of eggs a woman has, and the quality of those eggs, diminish over time.

Egg freezing is often not top of mind for women in their twenties, but understanding how age impacts success rates can help women of all ages make the right decision for their fertility.

Social Egg Freezing

Women who choose to freeze their eggs for the pursuit of a career or eduction, or those who haven’t met the right partner, fall into the category of “social egg freezing”. At Fertility Centers of New England, we refer to this as elective fertility preservation.

Medical Egg Freezing

Women who are faced with a cancer diagnosis often are also faced with the fear of losing their fertility. Chemotherapy and radiation can destroy follicles in the ovary, speeding the natural decline of ovarian reserve and causing either temporary or even early menopause.

Dr. Hill commented, “Another reason women might proactively freeze their eggs for medical reasons is needing to take a gonadotoxic medication—one that harms or destroys eggs—for an autoimmune disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.”

Contact Us

If the frequently asked questions on egg freezing have you interested in finding out what the best option is for you, please contact us for an initial consultation. We are here to help.