What is Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a process where a woman’s eggs are collected, frozen, and stored for future use. Later, when she’s ready, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized with sperm, and transferred into the uterus to try for a pregnancy.
The Technology
Vitrification is a widely used method for freezing eggs and has shown much higher survival rates compared to older techniques like slow freezing. With significant improvements in vitrification solutions, the Cryotec method has enabled high survival rates of eggs after thawing.
How do you have your eggs frozen?
In Singapore, you can freeze your eggs if you are between 21 and 38 years old, regardless of your marital status. Before starting, you will have a simple health check to ensure there are no contagious diseases. Then, for about 8 to 10 days, you will take hormone injections to help your ovaries produce multiple eggs. The eggs are collected through a quick and straightforward procedure. After collection, they rest in incubators for a few hours before being carefully frozen and stored safely until you are ready to use them.
Who needs Egg Freezing?
You may want to consider egg freezing if:
- You have medical conditions, such as cancer, that require chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- You are single and have not found the right partner yet.
- You are looking for an option to start a family when the time is right.
Why the need for egg freezing?
A woman’s fertility mostly depends on the quality of her eggs. It is well known that fertility decreases with age, and unfortunately, there is no medicine or technology that can improve the quality of eggs once it has declined. Lower egg quality can make it harder to conceive Thanks to advances in medical technology, women can now preserve their eggs.
