A woman’s ability to conceive depends very much on how old she is. Between the ages of 35 and 40, fertility in women already falls drastically by fifty per cent. Commonly referred to as the biological clock, the ability to conceive decreases due to ageing processes in the ovaries, which cause an increasing genetic error rate in the egg cells maturing there. With social egg freezing, your family planning is less dependent on time and you can fulfil your desire to have a child later on. If you wish to preserve your fertility, we offer you the option of having egg cells removed and stored in a strictly monitored centre in Switzerland.
- What is social egg freezing?
- Until when and for how long can egg cells be frozen?
- Assumption of costs
What is social egg freezing?
Social egg freezing, or simply social freezing, is the freezing of egg cells for non-medical reasons. The freezing process used in social freezing stops the ageing process of the egg cells, yet they retain their fertilisation potential from the time of freezing.
The treatment itself is largely the same as for classic artificial insemination: the ovaries are medically stimulated with daily injections over a period of approx. two weeks. Mature egg cells are then removed in a short procedure under anaesthesia and frozen at sub-zero temperatures (cryopreservation through vitrification).
This freezing technique (shock freezing) has been perfected in the last few years and makes it possible for human egg cells to maintain their fertility potential after being thawed. Thanks to this innovative method, over 90 per cent of the frozen egg cells are thus still vital after they are thawed and can be used for fertilisation.
The treatment is then continued at a later time determined by the patient: after the thawed egg cells are fertilised with the partner’s sperm in the IVF laboratory (in vitro fertilisation), the embryos are transferred into the uterine cavity of the woman with the intention of effecting a pregnancy there.
Until when and for how long can egg cells be frozen?
As already mentioned, female fertility is very much dependent on time. As the quality of the available egg cells decreases from 35 years of age, the oocytes should ideally be collected and preserved before then.
In Switzerland, the freezing of egg cells is legally restricted to 10 years. It is thus often not recommended to have eggs collected too early. An exception exists in the event of medical indicators that suggest premature ovarian failure.
Assumption of costs
The examination costs for family planning treatment are usually covered by health insurance companies. If you choose to undergo a social freezing treatment, you cover the treatment costs yourself from the beginning of hormone treatment. You are informed of the expected costs during a personal consultation.