UK Fertility Regulator Says Freezing Eggs in the 40s is 'Not Sensible'

Freezing eggs as an alternative for getting pregnant on a later date can prove to be unsuccessful if women are over the age of 40 while freezing eggs. According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), age is the key factor for egg freezing success and doctors need to inform the risks involved to women in their 40s.

"If eggs are frozen below the age of 35, the chances of success will be higher than the natural conception rate as the woman gets older," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Where women over the age of 40 are freezing their own eggs, the likelihood of a future pregnancy is very slim, and we would caution against this being a sensible option for this group of women."

The most common age of women freezing their own eggs for treatment is 38, with some women freezing their own eggs into their 40s, the health body said.

Women should be cautiously optimistic about egg freezing techniques, and that we must ensure women are fully informed about what to expect, HFEA Chair Sally Cheshire said.

"It is also important that women undergoing any type of fertility treatment are fully aware of the risks and cost involved, and the real possibility of it being successful.

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"Clinics have an ethical responsibility to be clear that egg freezing below the age of 35 offers women their best chance of creating their much longed for family," Cheshire added.

Source-IANS