Postdoctoral fellow NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York, New York
Abstract: Planned oocyte cryopreservation (OC)—often termed social or elective egg freezing—describes circumstances where there is no threat to fertility, with decisions prompted chiefly by individuals’ desires to extend their reproductive windows. Reasons reported include prioritization of career, education, or finances and, most commonly, the lack of a partner. While planned OC is heralded as a means of bolstering reproductive autonomy, it is still an emerging technology and practice, with crucial medical and psychosocial considerations. In younger patients, preserved oocytes often go unused, rendering procedures and costs involved in retrieval and storage perhaps unnecessary. Conversely, individuals who undergo OC later in life may receive inadequate counseling on the quantity and quality of oocytes necessary for successful childbirth, as well as the increased risk of complications with pregnancy at older ages. Further, planned OC is costly and rarely covered by health insurance, raising significant equity concerns. While employers may offer to cover these costs, some contend that such benefits allow corporations to sidestep responsibilities to truly support individual choice in family building, for example through more accommodating parental leave polices and childcare resources.
Counseling that is comprehensive, accurate, and consistent is imperative to facilitate truly informed decision-making around reproductive choices. This presentation will review results of a national survey assessing individuals’ experiences when receiving counseling on planned OC concerning clinical expectations, psychosocial implications, and cost considerations. This data characterizing current practice will then be contextualized within planned OC counseling best practices identified through narrative review of the medical and bioethical literature.
.png)
