Most women who freeze eggs for IVF leave them on ice

QUEENSLAND women choose to have their eggs frozen for many reasons but most leave them in storage, never to be thawed, new research has revealed.

MOST women who have frozen their eggs leave them on ice, untouched.

IVF experts at Queensland Fertility Group have been snap freezing eggs for the purpose of deferring childbirth for 10 years and just over one third of women have thawed their eggs within that time and only six per cent have used them to try and conceive within four years.

“Egg freezing is family insurance and peace of mind but things change, that’s just life,” QFG’s Dr David Molloy told The Courier-Mail.

“Patients who come into egg freezing are a conflicted group. Some are in a relationship but not ready to have children and some are single and want family insurance. Some meet a partner and get pregnant naturally, others don’t want to take the next step of finding a sperm donor and parenting alone” he said.

Keeping eggs frozen isn’t cheap, with fees of around $300 a year. Picture: David Kelly

Queensland women are happy to keep eggs in storage indefinitely for $300 a year.

Those who no longer want the eggs can get rid of them or donate them.

If payments are not kept up the clinic, after repeated attempts to make contact, has the right to dispose of the eggs.

Technology to delay having a baby can lead to pressures on patients, as a new study at The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center shows that 16 per cent of women who froze their eggs have moderate to serious regret.

The researchers found that women who retrieved fewer eggs in the procedure were more likely to regret the decision possibly because they interpreted the low yield as an indication of low fertility.

Megan Binnie is happy with her choice to have her eggs frozen. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

Kingaroy teacher Megan Binnie froze her eggs five years ago at the age of 28. She has not revisited the eggs.

“I don’t have regret about the procedure as I learned that I had endometriosis and polycystic ovaries. Since then I have changed my lifestyle to ease inflammation and I have worked on gut health. I don’t feel pressured that the eggs are there but if you asked me would I do it again I would say I wouldn’t want to put my body through the stress again,” Ms Binnie said.

“I’m not currently in a relationship and do not rule out using the eggs one day. I am relieved they are there,” she said.