United Kingdom, frozen oocytes can be stored for up to 55 years

Instead of just 10 years, women in the UK will be able to keep their eggs frozen for 55 years. The previously very restrictive legislation is preparing to change, extending the storage time and allowing women to choose more freely when to become mothers. But this new possibility has already aroused concerns: someone fears it could be an incentive to delay motherhood up to over 50 years.

Experts, however, assure us that this is not the case. Kylie Balwin, associate professor at De Montfort University, explains a The Conversation: “Based on my research and that of other scholars, many women who freeze their eggs do not want to delay motherhood until the age of 50 and 60, but instead they want to have children as soon as possible“, He says. “Extending the limit means that more women, in many different situations, will be able to choose to become mothers at the right time for them, which very often will be in the late 30s or the first half of their 40s ».

Women undergo egg freezing for a variety of reasons, including illnesses or medical treatments (such as chemotherapy) that can make them infertile, or even because they don’t have a partner. Once frozen, oocytes do not age or decompose: they could therefore remain viable indefinitely.

“Before the change in regulations, only women who frozen eggs for medical reasons, such as chemotherapy, could keep them for up to 55 years,” explains the researcher. “Women undergoing the procedure for social reasons (such as lack of a partner) could only freeze their eggs for up to ten years, then their eggs, if not used, had to be destroyed. But based on what we know about egg freezing, there is no medical reason for this limit, which is why I and others have claimed to change it. “

Kylie Baldwin adds: “The women I spoke to in my previous research stated that the decision to freeze eggs was often shaped by the fear of not having enough time to find the right partner and start a family. Many also feared getting involved in a relationship with the wrong partner just to have a child. Egg freezing gave these women the chance to find the right partner and build a secure relationship“. And again: «Many of these women have wanted a baby for many years and would have preferred to actively try to conceive rather than freeze the eggs. Others have explained to not having deliberately chosen to delay motherhood: they did not become mothers for reasons beyond their control. “

Egg freezing, therefore, often does not mean postponing motherhood as long as possible, but preserving the possibility of having a child with a truly chosen partner, when one feels ready.