Egg freezing
Who is egg freezing for?
This procedure is aimed at women of child-bearing age who are unable to consider a pregnancy in the immediate future or who are at increased risk of infertility, for example due to endometriosis, diminished ovarian reserve, chronic disease or cancer.
Why freeze your eggs?
Egg freezing is a personal choice. Women should see it as an additional opportunity to conceive a child at a future date, using their own eggs. The majority of women will never use the eggs they have preserved as they will either become pregnant naturally, or they will make different life choices.
Until what age is egg freezing feasible?
Egg freezing appears to be beneficial until around 37 years of age. Fertility and ovarian reserves gradually diminish over time, and this process accelerates after the age of 35. Optimal fertility in females is between 20 and 30 years of age, but a woman may wish to defer becoming a mother. Freezing young, healthy eggs when they are still available in sufficient numbers helps to reduce the risk of age-related infertility and miscarriage.
How long can eggs remain frozen?
Frozen eggs are stored at a very low temperature in liquid nitrogen, which keeps them perfectly stable for several years. The Federal Act on Medically Assisted Reproduction (LPMA) allows frozen eggs to be stored for 10 years. If she wishes, she can have them transferred to another laboratory or terminate their storage at any time.
How do you become pregnant using frozen eggs?
This requires in vitro fertilization. Once the eggs have been thawed, a sperm cell from the woman’s partner is inserted into each one. Swiss law currently only allows the use of donor sperm for heterosexual married couples.
Is there an age limit for using frozen eggs?
Women can use their eggs until they reach the menopause, which occurs at around 50 years of age. However, it is better to plan for a pregnancy before the age of 45 due to the reduced implantation rate and increase in potential complications for both mother and child.
Is the procedure covered by health insurance?
Egg freezing may be reimbursed through the Swiss Federal Act on Compulsory Health Care (LAMal) for women under the age of 40 who are undergoing treatment that is deemed toxic for the ovaries (such as chemotherapy). Patients who choose to have their eggs frozen are not covered.