In a world where more people are prioritizing their careers, exploring new opportunities, or waiting to meet the right partner, planning for a family can feel like a distant concern. Fertility preservation, once seen as a niche medical option, has become an empowering choice for both women and men looking to keep their options open, no matter where life takes them.
Fertility preservation can include options like egg freezing, sperm freezing, and embryo freezing. Advances in technology have made all these options more accessible and successful than ever before.
- Egg Freezing: Often chosen by women who want more flexibility in family planning.
- Sperm Freezing: A smart option for men planning later-life parenthood or facing medical treatments.
- Embryo Freezing: A great option for couples who are sure about starting a family together in the future but aren’t quite ready yet.
Why Preserve Fertility?
- Freedom to focus on life goals
For many, the decision to freeze eggs, sperm, or embryos comes from a desire to focus on other important life goals first. Whether it’s advancing a career, traveling, or getting established financially, preserving fertility lets people hit pause on one of life’s biggest decisions without feeling like the clock is ticking.
- Navigating medical factors
Certain health conditions or treatments can affect fertility. Many people undergoing treatments like chemotherapy or managing health issues that impact reproductive health choose to freeze eggs, sperm, or embryos. This choice preserves options even after overcoming medical challenges, providing peace of mind and hope for the future.
- Age and fertility – not just a women’s issue
Although fertility preservation has often been associated with women, recent studies show that men’s fertility also declines over time. This means that sperm freezing can be beneficial for men who aren’t ready for parenthood. For both men and women, preserving fertility earlier can mean healthier eggs or sperm when they’re ready to start a family.
- Increasing the odds
Freezing eggs or sperm at a younger age can lead to higher success rates down the line. With the advances in fertility technology, many who preserve fertility today have an even better chance of conception when they’re ready. It’s a way to maximize fertility potential while minimizing future stress.
Egg Freezing or Embryo Freezing?
Deciding between freezing eggs and creating embryos to preserve fertility depends on various personal, medical, and situational factors. Here are some considerations for each option:
Egg Freezing
- Flexibility: Freezing eggs preserves a person’s reproductive potential without requiring a partner or sperm donor at the time of preservation. This option allows you to make decisions about fertilization later.
- Control: Egg freezing may feel like it provides more autonomy if you’re uncertain about future relationships or don’t want to commit or have the budget to create embryos yet.
- Success Rates: Success rates for frozen eggs can vary. While egg freezing technology has improved significantly, frozen eggs generally have a slightly lower success rate than embryos because eggs are more fragile.
- Typical Candidates: This option is often chosen by people who are young, single, or not ready to make decisions with a partner about creating embryos.
Embryo Freezing
- Higher Success Rates: Embryo freezing tends to have slightly higher success rates than egg freezing due to embryos being more resilient in the freezing and thawing process. If you’re freezing at an older age, this may offer an advantage.
- Decision-Making: If you already have a partner with whom you’d like to create embryos, this option may feel more certain for future fertility. Some people feel more comfortable knowing embryos have already been created rather than counting on future fertilization.
- Legal Considerations: Embryos are generally considered a joint decision between partners, which can lead to complicated legal issues if circumstances change, like a relationship ending.
- Typical Candidates: Embryo freezing is more common among people who are in committed relationships or undergoing medical treatments that might impact their fertility in the immediate future, such as cancer treatment.
| Criteria | Egg Freezing | Embryo Freezing |
| Flexibility | High (no immediate need for sperm/partner) | Lower (requires sperm/partner commitment) |
| Success Rate | Slightly lower success rate than embryos | Higher success rate than eggs |
| Autonomy | Full autonomy over future use | Shared decision-making if done with a partner |
| Best for | Those uncertain about timing/ partner | Those in committed partnerships or needing higher success rates |
*Consulting one of our fertility specialists will provide a clearer picture tailored to your age, health, and long-term goals*
When to Start?
There’s no perfect age to preserve fertility; rather, it’s about timing that fits your personal goals. While some may choose to freeze eggs or sperm in their 20s, others do so in their early 30s when they feel more financially and emotionally prepared for the process.
The Female Clock
A woman’s fertility typically begins to decline in her late 20s to early 30s, with a more significant decrease after age 35. Here’s a general timeline of how fertility changes with age:
- Late 20s to Early 30s: Fertility remains relatively high, though subtle declines can begin around 27-29.
- Around Age 35: A more noticeable decline often starts. Both the number and quality of eggs decrease, making conception more challenging, and the risk of genetic abnormalities rises.
- After Age 40: Fertility declines sharply. At this stage, pregnancy rates are lower, and the chances of miscarriage or complications increase. By age 45, achieving a natural pregnancy is uncommon for most women, though there are individual differences.
The Male Clock
Men’s fertility generally begins to decline around age 40 to 45, though the decline is typically more gradual compared to women. Here’s how male fertility changes with age:
- Early 40s: Sperm quality, including motility (movement) and morphology (shape), may start to decrease. While many men can still father children at this age and beyond, these changes can lead to reduced fertility and lower chances of conception.
- Mid-40s and beyond: Sperm count and testosterone levels may drop, and genetic mutations in sperm increase, raising the risk of complications, including miscarriage and developmental issues in offspring.
* Though men often maintain fertility longer than women, age-related changes in sperm can still impact conception and the health of future children *
Myth!
Some people worry that choosing fertility preservation means they won’t conceive naturally later on. The good news? Most people who preserve their fertility still go on to conceive naturally, but they feel reassured knowing they have options.
Fertility preservation is all about empowering your future. It’s a choice to give yourself time, options, and confidence that whenever you’re ready for parenthood, you have the best chances for success. By taking control today, you’re investing in a future that’s just as flexible, exciting, and open as you are.
If you have any questions about the best fertility preservation options for your unique circumstances please reach out to us at www.beparentsurrogacy.com for a noobligation personal consultation.
