Why Indian women are embracing to freeze their eggs
While some women are freezing their eggs due to social reasons such as focusing on their career and living life on their terms, others are forced to take this step due to medical reasons.
A little over nine months in February, Sneha (name withheld), a 37-year-old single lady, gathered courage to freeze her eggs.
Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process in which a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen, and stored to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age.
The reason women freeze eggs can be clinical or social. Social egg-freezing is when women freeze their eggs by choice. Many want to focus on their career before they take on the responsibility of motherhood. Medical reasons include age-related or in situations like cancer treatment, which will affect their fertility.
Sneha says, the thought of not being able to have kids because of running against a biological clock of declining fertility and the challenge of finding the right partner in time terrified her.
“I am single and have not met anyone whom I would like to marry. It felt as if I was running out of time. I just did not want to rush into marriage. To put off this pressure from my head, I opted for egg freezing,” she tells HerStory.
She says that although the journey may not guarantee 100% success, its worth taking a shot.
A resident of Bengaluru, Sneha decided to go through the process alone as her parents live in Chennai. “I chose not to burden my parents with this emotional rollercoaster journey,” she says.
After undergoing initial blood tests, she was scheduled for the procedure. Unfortunately, a cyst developed, leading to the postponement of the procedure. During the cycle, she was given a series of 35 to 40 injections over 11 days, followed by a minor procedure to extract her eggs.
“The procedure was emotionally exhausting as I was alone. My threshold for pain is low so it took a little longer to recover,” she adds.
But she now feels liberated as she believes life is not just about rushing into having children and getting married, but it’s about living life on your terms.
A news report states there is no national data on egg freezing in India, but assisted reproductive technology specialists say there has been a 25% rise in the number of single women freezing their eggs over the past year.
Dr Fessy Louis T, Clinical Associate Professor, Amrita Fertility Centre, Amrita Hospital Kochi, says that five years ago, there were just one or two patients inquiring about egg freezing per year. But now the numbers are increasing.
“The number of fertility centres offering this service has also increased. It's evident that awareness and demand for egg freezing have been steadily rising over the years. Currently, we have a minimum of four to five patients undergoing this procedure, and we receive more than 45 inquiries per month through online channels like email or phone,” Dr Louis states.
The process of egg freezing
Dr Louis says that a woman typically produces one egg each month, and after it is formed in the ovary, it is released into the abdomen. As women age, the number and quality of their eggs decrease, and this decline becomes more significant after the age of 40.
To preserve the eggs, women have to undergo a small medical procedure. As per Cloudnine, the eggs do not compromise on their quality for up to 10 years after the freezing process is done.
Elucidating further on the process, she says that before the treatment begins, baseline scans and investigations are conducted to assess ovarian reserve and function, and to check for any abnormalities that could impact the process. Medications are then prescribed to stimulate the ovaries and produce multiple eggs, typically aiming for 8 to 10. Additional medications are administered to prevent premature ovulation.
Once the eggs mature, a trigger injection induces their final maturation. Egg retrieval is performed under anesthesia in a specialised facility. The mature eggs are carefully frozen using specialised equipment and storage containers.
Dr Namrata Seth, Senior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, explains that the ideal age for women to consider egg freezing is typically under 35, as this age group often yields between 10 to 20 mature follicles, providing a greater than 90% chance of a successful live birth. Beyond the age of 35, the chances decline, with only 20-30% of follicles resulting in a 70% likelihood of a successful live birth.
According to the India Society for Assisted Reproduction, the success rates of egg freezing in India are higher for women in their 20s and early 30s than those who go for the procedure later in life.
“Egg freezing typically involves a standard storage period of 10 years. In an average egg-freezing cycle, approximately 90% of frozen eggs survive thawing, 70% successfully undergo fertilization, and around 45% of these fertilized eggs lead to a successful pregnancy,” she adds.
“Freezing eggs is entirely dependent on the quality of the eggs that are frozen. It is also a common misconception that freezing eggs is the same everywhere, which is not true. Variations in laboratory techniques make some IVF laboratories more successful at freezing and thawing (de-freezing) these eggs,” she says.
All about choice
Ruchi's life took a challenging turn when she was diagnosed with hormone-receptive breast cancer at the age of 30, just one month into her pregnancy. The Gurugram-based life coach had to terminate her pregnancy, and was also informed that she might not be able to conceive again. Later, she had to get her ovaries removed as well, which meant she couldn’t preserve her eggs.
In 2019, after she recovered, the couple decided to take the help of an egg donor and a surrogate mother. Ruchi is now a mother to a girl child.
Recalling her journey, she reflects, "In my first marriage, I made the choice to delay having a child due to career aspirations and family conflicts. Back then, I didn't consider egg freezing because I felt healthy and couldn't foresee the uncertainties ahead. Several years later, in my second marriage, when I desired to have a child, I found myself constrained by my health condition."
She highlights the fact that the process is expensive as it costs between ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh for the process. Dr Seth adds that the cost of egg freezing procedure ranges from Rs 1,10,000 to Rs 1,30,000 depending on a variety of factors such as the choice of clinic, the experience of a fertility specialist, the age of the woman, and the number of eggs you want to freeze.
Adding to it, Dr Louis says that egg freezing in India costs anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 per year. Medications for stimulation cost around Rs 1 to 1.10 lakh. When using frozen eggs for IVF, there's an additional cost of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 for the IVF procedure.
However, Ruchi believes that it is providing agency to women.
She emphasises, “Egg freezing empowers women to take control of their motherhood timeline. In this era of unpredictability, it's a prudent option to proactively freeze your eggs, creating a valuable repository for your future. What's more, it's advisable to consider this before the age of 30 to ensure the quality of the embryo is not compromised."
However, not all women who choose this route want to reveal their identities because of the stigma associated with the process.
Neha (name changed) reflects on the challenges of being a single woman in India, noting that inclusiveness for single women is often questioned. “I often meet families and individuals who enquire about my relationship status. It’s evident that when you have a partner, people tend to treat you differently. Being single in India can be quite challenging, with constant reminders from most people.”
She believes the situation will become tougher if she tells people about her decision to freeze her eggs as it would make people uncomfortable. “I haven't shared this with many people, only with those I know will be supportive and encouraging of it,” she adds.
Problems associated with freezing eggs
According to Dr Louis, in some cases, the medications used to stimulate egg production may lead to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (an exaggerated response to excess hormones which causes the ovaries to swell and become painful). However, modern protocols and medications have reduced the risk of it significantly.
Dr Seth adds that there are no long-term effects of egg freezing. However, side effects like nausea and vomiting, allergies, breast tenderness, and mood swings are common.
Keeping these drawbacks aside, Dr Seth believes that the growing conversation around egg freezing is a promising start. She says egg freezing can offer valuable options to several women, including those diagnosed with cancer who have not yet commenced radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
“It also extends to individuals with a family history of early menopause, women who wish to preserve their fertility due to personal or medical reasons, and those who desire to delay childbearing for educational and career pursuits,” she says.
(The copy was updated to correct the place of residence of a person quoted in the story.)
Edited by Megha Reddy