Egg Freezing Myths vs. Facts: What women must know before deciding

Egg freezing is gaining momentum in India; however, there are several myths causing confusion and influencing their decisions. Let's get the facts straight according to Dr. Tripti Raheja, Director - Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the CK Birla Hospital, Delhi

Myth 1: Egg freezing guarantees a future pregnancy

Fact: Freezing eggs does not guarantee pregnancy. While success does depend on the age and quality of the egg, it does significantly improve the chances of getting pregnant.

Myth 2: Only women with medical problems should freeze their eggs.

Fact: More and more healthy women deliberately freeze their eggs in order to save fertility for the eventuality of pregnancy after the age of 35 years.

Myth 3: One cycle is enough for everyone.

Fact: Most women may require more than one cycle to accumulate 10–20 good-quality eggs to increase the chances of pregnancy.

Myth 4: The procedure hurts.

Fact: Whereas the hormonal injections might be painful to take and sometimes bloating can occur, the actual retrieval of the eggs is a minor procedure and painless.

Myth 5: Long-term side effects of hormonal injections

Fact: Side effects are short-term. There is no known long-term health risk with fertility medications used in egg freezing.

Myth 6: Egg freezing harms future fertility

Fact: It does not reduce natural fertility. It utilizes an egg which naturally would be lost in each menstrual cycle.

Myth 7: Frozen eggs rarely survive thawing

Fact: Using modern vitrification techniques, about 90% of eggs survive the thawing process.

Myth 8: Egg freezing at 40 has the same success as at 25 or 30

Fact: Egg quality decreases sharply after 35. Freezing earlier gives significantly better results.

Myth 9: Egg freezing is only for celebrities or the wealthy.

Fact: It is very reasonably priced now, as most of the IVF clinics offer affordable packages and EMI options.

Myth 10: Eggs can be stored forever without any follow-up

Fact: Long-term storage may be safe, yet from a legal and clinical standpoint, renewals of consent are compulsory periodically.