Do you know that women’s fertility declines with age? We’ve linked up with European-based campaign group FlowerKid to help ensure women understand their own fertility and their options to help preserve it for the future.
We’re the first UK clinic to work with FlowerKid, who chose to partner with us as one of their quality cryopreservation centres, not just because of our expertise in egg freezing but our openness and honesty about success rates and suitability with our patients.
Here are some facts about egg freezing if you’re thinking of preserving your fertility:
Freeze your eggs when you are young: You may not be thinking about your fertility in your 20s, or even starting a family. But it’s important to be aware that fertility declines with age. Many women only consider egg freezing when they reach their mid-30s, and haven’t met the right partner or are still concentrating on their career. Eggs are already lower quality at this age. The younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the better they will be and the better the chance of successful conception in future.
Not all clinics use the same freezing technique: At Manchester Fertilty we use a method called vitrification, or ‘flash freezing’. This reduces cell damage to the egg caused by ice crystals, meaning more of your eggs are viable to be used in future fertility treatment.
Success rates are improving: Success rates using frozen eggs are getting better all the time thanks to improved techniques and rising awareness of fertility rates in women. It is no longer considered an ‘experimental’ treatment but a viable option to help preserve fertility.
Beware of false hope: Any fertility clinic offering fertility preservation services should be open and honest with you about your chances of success and whether egg freezing could work for you. They should always tell you if the success rate is so low it’s not worth attempting. Success is influenced by a number of factors – your age (and the age/quality of your eggs) at the time of freezing, how many eggs are retrieved following stimulation, and the methods used to freeze the eggs.
Sperm quality: When you’re ready to use your frozen eggs, the quality of the sperm used to fertilise the egg is also crucial. Whether you are using a partner’s sperm or that of a donor, at Manchester Fertility we fertilise thawed eggs using ICSI, where a single healthy sperm is injected directly into the egg to fertilise it.
If you’re considering egg-freezing, find out what’s involved here. Our team is always here to help if you have any questions: please call us on 0161 300 2737.
Last updated: 20th January 2020
