Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Thoughts on Fertility

During my research, I’ve noticed something - Most women who make the decision to freeze their eggs, decide after the age of 35 or when their fertility has already diminished significantly. In other words, fertility is not a subject women really talk about until they realize they are losing it. When I look back, I realize I've never really thought about my fertility as a whole. I've thought about babies and family, but for some reason I never considered having those things could/would be in possible jeopardy. I always felt like I had time. How do we get women to talk about fertility before its decline?    

Interesting facts I came across:
  • The first child conceived from a frozen egg was born in the mid 1980’s.
  • Studies show that the majority of the 33% of high achieving women that are childless at ages 41-55 did not choose to be childless.
  • Women over 40 have a two out of five chance for a successful spontaneous pregnancy.
  • Preliminary studies agree that frozen oocytes (eggs) may last ten years. Some researchers believe their shelf life may be longer.
  • Women who freeze their eggs between the ages of 32 and 35 will have a 40-50% chance of achieving a successful pregnancy. If freezing between the ages of 35 and 38, the rate goes down 35%. If freezing at 39 or 40, it’s 20 to 25% and if freezing eggs over age 40, the success rate is less than 10%.
  • The birthrate of in vitro-fertilization (IVF) procedures with frozen eggs extracted from women under 36 is now close to 50% - comparable to that of “fresh eggs” from women of that age.
  • USC Fertility is one of only a handful of fertility programs nationwide to succeed in achieving pregnancies with egg freezing. USC Fertility is a pioneer in utilizing the newest cryopreservation technology.

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