Ice Fertility welcomes today’s announcement that the storage limit for frozen eggs, sperm and embryos is set to be increased. The government plans to increase the storage limit of frozen eggs from 10 years to 55 years will give women more options and choice when it comes to starting a family.
The fact is that the age of a woman’s eggs, and not her age, is the single biggest determinant of fertility. Women currently do not freeze their eggs at the optimum time to preserve the quality of their eggs – the majority of women freezing their eggs (67%) in 2019 were over 35. This is driven by a number of factors, including in part by the current restrictive storage limits.
The current storage limit means that in practice, women who freeze their eggs in their 20s, must use their eggs before they turn 40, which might be sooner than they would need or choose to otherwise.
The changes in storage limits are made possible by the advancements in the egg freezing process, namely vitrification, which allows eggs to be frozen indefinitely without the quality of the eggs deteriorating. Research has shown that IVF success rates are largely similar whether using fresh eggs or frozen eggs.
As Julia Chain, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, highlights, this change “brings the law inline with advances in science, changes in modern society and individuals’ reproductive choice.”
Adrian Lower, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Ice Fertility comments: “I am delighted that the government has responded so positively to the recommendations of the fertility community This is great news for patients, allowing them more time to make important decisions about family planning and a significant move towards gender equality.”
“Removing the limit of 10 years on egg storage removes the deterrent for freezing eggs at a younger age and will allow women to freeze their eggs in their early 20s, which will improve their chance of a successful pregnancy if they need to use the eggs later on. I anticipate that this legislation will see a huge increase in egg freezing in women under 30.”
Ice Fertility’s online, digital-first egg freezing platform is designed with young working women in mind, and is well placed to cater to this growing demand. Our mission is to make the egg freezing process simple, convenient and comfortable, allowing more young women to give themselves options for the future.