Only a fraction of women freezing their eggs use them to have a baby, study finds

ONLY a fraction of women freezing their eggs for social reasons have used them to have a baby because of a reluctance to become a single parent, suggesting they are still searching for Mr Right.

Only 6 per cent had used their eggs to try to conceive a baby using IVF. Picture: Bloomberg

ONLY a fraction of women freezing their eggs for social reasons have used them to have a baby because of a reluctance to become a single parent, suggesting they are still searching for Mr Right.

The first Australian study of women, who have their eggs retrieved and put in the deep freeze in the hope of preserving their fertility, reveals that the majority still want to have a child.

The number of healthy women opting to freeze their eggs to avoid age-related infertility is increasing, but little is known about their outcomes.

A survey of almost 100 ­Victorian women who froze their eggs at Melbourne IVF from 1999-2014 found most were aged in their 30s, well-­educated and single.

Almost half of the women froze their eggs when they were aged 37 or younger.

Only 6 per cent had used their eggs to try to conceive a baby using IVF, with three giving birth to a baby.

The main reason for not using their eggs to conceive, according to the research led by the Jean Hailes Research Unit at Monash University, was not wanting to be a single parent.

Although the reason women delay starting a family is often attributed to women pursuing careers, the findings in the journal Human Reproduction said a major reason was the lack of a partner willing to commit to parenthood.

Most women still wanted to have children, but only one in five definitely intended to use their stored eggs.

The remaining women said it would depend on their ­circumstances.

Since freezing their eggs, one in five women in the survey had given birth or were now pregnant.

More than half of the 21 successful pregnancies were as a result of spontaneous conception; more than a quarter were as a result of IVF using “fresh” eggs.

Almost 40 per cent of women said the reason for not using their stored eggs was that they wanted to try conceiving naturally first.