According to a new study from scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, an increasing number of women in the United States are electively choosing to freeze their eggs. However, a much smaller number are returning to use them.
Using data from the SART-CORS database, the authors found the number of planned elective egg freezing cycles nearly quadrupled between 2014 and 2021, rising from 4,153 to 16,436. Despite this increase, only 5.7 percent of women who froze their eggs between 2014 and 2016 returned to use them 5 to 7 years later.
The authors also uncovered age-related trends in elective egg freezing. In 2014, the average age of women who chose to freeze their eggs was 36.0 years. In 2021, the average age decreased to 34.9 years. Women who initially froze their eggs between the ages of 38 and 42 were the more likely age group to return to use them, with a return rate of roughly 8 percent.
Notably, the study also found similar success rates for live births using the participants’ frozen eggs compared to national age-dependent success rates for in vitro fertilization using fresh eggs. These findings have important implications for providers who can discuss the benefits of egg freezing with patients of all ages, allowing women to make a more informed decision when family planning.