Ticking Biological Clock? Explore Egg Freezing for Fertility Preservation

Fertility changes occur throughout the life of an individual. The biological clock refers to the fact that it is usually easier to get pregnant earlier in life than later. There is proven evidence that the number and quality of eggs decline as an individual gets older. However, the idea of a biological clock has been expanded to imply the sense of psychological pressure that may occur when an individual hasn’t had any children at a certain age. Ticking Biological Clock? Egg Freezing for Fertility Preservation

Even though infertility treatments and the age at which a woman can have children have expanded in the past decade, many women still feel the pressure to have a child during their most fertile years. This can be a source of intense anxiety, especially in the instance that due to the pursuit of a career, there is little time left to pursue parenthood. It could also result from the continuous questioning of an individual’s reproductive choices by people who are close to them. Some of the reasons why some women may postpone having children include:

• Inability to find a suitable partner
• Increased rate of divorces
• A shift in values and norms
• Economic uncertainty
• Rise in housing costs
• Rise of cohabitation before marriage

What is the cause of age-related decline in fertility?

A female baby in the womb could have up to 7 million eggs (also referred to as oocytes) in their ovaries. The number of eggs drops steadily and naturally from then on. By the age that most females attain puberty, they may have about 300,000-500,000 eggs remaining. By the start of menopause, which usually occurs around 51 years of age, the ovaries may contain about 1000 eggs. The health of those eggs and the level of reproductive hormones in the body also decline over time. Also, the risk of certain conditions increases as the individual gets older. Some examples of conditions that may cause or increase the difficulty of getting pregnant include:

• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Cancer
• Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism

What are the fertility preservation options for women?

The main target of fertility preservation techniques in females is the freezing of an egg or oocyte or the creation and subsequent storage of embryos. These options can enable the woman to carry a pregnancy to term, even in the case that she has reached menopause. Also, if the uterus is damaged and unable to carry a pregnancy, they may be able to explore the surrogacy option. This is where the pregnancy is carried by a different woman called the surrogate, and after the baby is delivered, the child is handed back to the woman who provided her eggs, called the intended mother. While these techniques boast of a very high success rate, they are individually affected or impacted by the following factors:

• The woman’s genes
• The lifestyle and habits of the woman
• The fertility history of the woman
• The medical condition and history of the woman
• The presence of any underlying infection or disease

How is a woman’s fertility preserved?

There is an initial stage of consultations with the fertility experts where the woman’s needs are figured out. After that, there is usually a round of testing and evaluations to determine the woman’s fertility stage and level. Then, the woman undergoes a period of ovarian stimulation. This is done to induce the maturation of multiple ovarian follicles. The medications that will cause this stimulation are either, orally ingested or they are injected. They then cause the development and maturation of multiple ovarian follicles. The ovarian response to the medication is closely monitored through blood tests and ultrasound images. 

When the follicles are deemed mature enough, a session for their extraction is booked. On that day, the woman is lightly sedated and then prepared for the extraction. The process takes about half an hour and is an outpatient procedure. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the woman’s vagina to guide the aspiration needle. Then through the abdomen, a needle is inserted into the ovary, and then the mature follicles are aspirated. After the aspiration, the follicles are put in a special solution and then sent to the laboratory.

In the lab, the eggs are extracted from the follicles and put in another special solution. At that point, the eggs can undergo freezing, after which they are put in liquid nitrogen and can be stored indefinitely. Due to the refinement of methodology and the innovation of technology, this process has become almost routine. In the instance that the patient is opting for embryo storage instead of eggs, the extracted eggs are then fertilized with sperm from their partner or a donor. This is accomplished via In vitro fertilization.

It is important to note that embryo freezing and storage have been going on longer than egg freezing and storage and may even boast of a higher success rate. In the future when the woman wishes to get pregnant, if it is eggs that are stored, they are removed, thawed and then fertilized. After the embryo is created and grown in the lab for a few days, they are then transferred into the woman’s uterus for gestation and delivery. The same is done for stored embryos; they are thawed and then transferred to the uterus of the woman.

A lot of ethical discourse has been had about the fate of the excess embryos which are not used by the woman, with the debate still raging at present. In a lot of countries, the technology or the regulations bar women from preserving their eggs. This is why medical travel or meditour agencies can offer services where the woman goes to a more favourable country for the procedure. The agencies offer packages for overseas medical treatment where the individual seeks fertility preservation options from other countries in the form of medical or health tourism.

Benefits of egg preservation

The preservation offers women the opportunity to prolong their reproductive timeline. If the preservation is done at a young age, the woman can enhance her chances of giving birth significantly because the eggs are of more quality and are at greater abundance. In addition, freezing eggs can bring a sense of reassurance to women who may encounter issues with their fertility because of medical conditions or treatments like chemotherapy. It also offers a level of flexibility to women who have not found suitable partners or are prioritizing their careers or other aspects of their lives.