Social egg freezing: the prospect of reproductive 'immortality' or a dangerous delusion?
Social egg freezing: the prospect of reproductive 'immortality' or a dangerous delusion?
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DOI：
10.1016/j.rbmo.2011.05.010
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发表时间：
2011-09-01
影响因子：
4
通讯作者：
Lockwood, Gillian M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lockwood, Gillian M.
Until recently there was little to offer young women with cancer facing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery and the probability of premature menopause and sterility. The first 'frozen egg' baby was born in 1986, but success rates were so low that egg freezing was neglected. Three technological developments in assisted reproduction treatment (intracytoplasmic sperm injection, dehydro-cryoprotectants and vitrification) have transformed this picture and now young women with frozen eggs have the same probability of a live birth per embryo transfer as women undergoing conventional IVF. For many women it is not cancer but the passage of time that denies them a chance of motherhood. Social, educational and financial pressures often lead them to delay starting a family until their late thirties, by which time the chance of success is compromised by low fecundity rates and an increased risk of miscarriage if they become pregnant. Donor eggs are not an option for many because of supply constraints and ethical concerns. Freezing a woman's eggs at age 30 literally 'freezes in time' her fertility potential and gives her the chance of a healthy pregnancy at a time of her choosing. The role of oocyte cryopreservation in the context of social egg freezing is discussed. (C) 2011, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
