Egg freezing, also known as mature oocyte cryopreservation, is a method used to preserve a woman’s ability to get pregnant in the future. A woman’s eggs can be harvested from ovaries, frozen unfertilized, and stored for later use. The frozen egg can be thawed, combined with sperm in a lab then implanted into your uterus (IVF). You might consider egg freezing if:
- You have a condition or circumstance that can affect your fertility. Conditions might include sickle cell anemia or an autoimmune disease such as lupus. Circumstances include gender diversity, such as being transgender.
- You need treatment for cancer or another illness that can affect your ability to get pregnant. Medical treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy can harm your fertility. Egg freezing before treatment might enable you to have biological children later.
- You’re undergoing in vitro fertilization. When undergoing in vitro fertilization, some people prefer egg freezing to embryo freezing for religious or ethical reasons.
- You wish to preserve younger eggs now for future use. Freezing eggs at a younger age might help you get pregnant when you’re ready.
You can use your frozen eggs to try to conceive a child with sperm from a partner or a sperm donor. The sperm donor can be known or anonymous. The embryo can also be implanted in the uterus of another person, a gestational surrogate, to carry the pregnancy for you.
