Fertility rules: egg freezing limit set to rise to 55 years

If you could stop the clock, would you? Well, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians, a new freezing technique called vitrification means that eggs can be frozen in time and stored indefinitely without deterioration. This development has prompted the government to debate an overhaul of fertility regulation intended to help prospective parents, where the 10-year limit on freezing eggs (as well as sperm and embryos) will be scrapped and raised to up to 55 years. In theory, this would mean that women who had their eggs frozen at 25 could have them de-thawed at 80. 

Currently, if you are looking to freeze your eggs for social reasons, after 10 years, prospective parents will have to either undergo fertility treatment or have their cells destroyed. To bypass this time restriction, you will need a viable medical reason, such as being at risk of premature infertility or undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, where you can freeze and store your eggs for as long as 55 years. Under the proposed system, there would be the option to keep or dispose of the frozen cells or embryos at 10-year intervals. 

Around two-thirds of women in the UK who freeze their eggs for social reasons are over the age of 35, which is when fertility rates start to decline rapidly. The new limit will mean that women in their 20s, who have a higher ovarian reserve, can have the option to preserve fertility with the confidence that the salient decision could be made at a later date. 

The 32-year-old journalist Sophia Money-Coutts has celebrated the news, saying, “This is such brilliant news for women and a hugely empowering move which has been a long time coming.” Money-Coutts has been vocal over the years about her experience of freezing eggs and even hosts a podcast, “Freezing Time”, where she talks about the trials and tribulations of fertility treatment. She added: “The 10-year limit was set in 1990 when egg freezing was a relatively new science and has caused many women heartache since because they’ve either had to destroy their eggs or transport them abroad.” 

This latest announcement was also welcomed by fertility organisations, who have said the move means prospective parents can now enjoy greater freedom. In a statement released this morning, the British Fertility Society (BFS) wrote: “As professionals delivering care in this field, we are delighted that our advocacy has resulted in a change for the better for our patients, reducing unintended discrimination and protecting autonomy.”

Speaking to the BBC’s Today Programme, Julia Chain, chairman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said: “We are really delighted that the government has taken this position. We think it will give women a lot more choice, a lot more freedom, about when they can start having their family.” 

Back in Westminster, Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has said that the 10-year limit was “severely restrictive” and that these new plans will give potential parents more power to decide when to have children. He said: “The new legislation will help turn off the ticking clock in the back of people’s minds. By making these changes, we are going to have to take a huge step forwards – not just for giving people greater freedom over their fertility, but for equality too.”

However, the Department of Health and Social Care has not revealed how and when this move will happen as the proposals will need the golden seal of parliamentary approval. 

The proposals mark a significant advancement for female autonomy, where women can retain a greater degree of control over their bodies and their future. Yet the financial realities and likelihood of conception from egg freezing are often overlooked. Some clinics seem to sell egg freezing as an insurance policy without being honest about the risks.

The problem is that many women in their 20s do not have the deep pockets needed to fund egg freezing. The average cost of having eggs collected and frozen is £3,350, with medication costing up to £1,500 extra and storage up to £350 a year. And the chance of conception from frozen eggs rapidly declines the later they are harvested. If you have your eggs frozen under the age of 35, there is a 27 per cent chance and if over the age of 35, there is a 13 per cent chance. 

Even so, the number of women freezing their eggs has risen almost ten-fold since 2010, with fertility clinics reporting a surge in demand due to the pandemic. If this interest continues to increase now that the 10-year limit has been scrapped, the discrepancies between the promises and practicalities of treatment will need far more airtime.