Advances in egg freezing trigger debate
(sz) Advances in egg freezing have leapt from the lab to the public, particularly in the US where clinics are unregulated, to offer assisted reproduction using frozen eggs despite the long-term effects being little known, according to the journal Science. A news article evaluated the reliability and significance of fertility clinics offering egg freezing services, scientifically known as oocyte cryo-preservation.
The US company Extend Fertility, based in Massachusetts, targets its egg freezing services towards young women who wish to stall their biological clock. Its advertisement campaign is controversial both in regards to the unknown risks and effectiveness of egg freezing, and concerns over its sociological impact. Extend aims to provide a lifestyle choice rather than a medical need.
But supporters argue that egg freezing has a number of advantages over embryo storage. They believe it more fairly evens the gender gap, since men can healthily reproduce throughout most of their lives, whereas women have a narrower window of fertility and their most healthy fertile years are their twenties, when many are focussing on their education and career. more…
From: »ivf.net«