Just checked out a book on egg freezing, as it's a topic that may or may not make it on to a course I'm teaching in the spring, on issues related to motherhood.
I have to say, I read a couple pages, including what seemed like ridiculously high success rates for IVF, and I shut down.
As a woman invested in reproductive choice, as a woman who needed to use an egg donor, I should like egg freezing as a general concept.
So why does it make me so queasy?
Talk among yourselves.
*
And sort of related, I think my head might explode:
http://www.rolereboot.org/family/details/2013-11-8-surprising-facts-about-egg-donors
I have to say, I read a couple pages, including what seemed like ridiculously high success rates for IVF, and I shut down.
As a woman invested in reproductive choice, as a woman who needed to use an egg donor, I should like egg freezing as a general concept.
So why does it make me so queasy?
Talk among yourselves.
*
And sort of related, I think my head might explode:
http://www.rolereboot.org/family/details/2013-11-8-surprising-facts-about-egg-donors
I think egg freezing is a great option for young women. Before we had our (DE-conceived) sons, I often said that, if I had a daughter, I'd suggest she do it when she was 18 or 19 and would even finance it. . . just so that she could then relax and concentrate on her education and career without concerns that she might find herself in my shoes down the road.
ReplyDeleteThere are some inaccuracies in the article you posted. First, there are all sorts of egg donation situations, so it's not always true that your children will never meet their egg donor. Many people use known or semi-known donors.
Second, not all eggs are donated "on demand." There are a few frozen DE programs in existence, and this is a growing trend in the industry.
Third, I disagree that there is less anonymity for egg donors than for sperm donors. While it is certainly *possible* that you could discover your donor's identity, due to running into her at your clinic or because of the information provided that would offer clues to her identity, not all clinics afford this possibility. In fact, many zealously guard against it.
Fourth, the standard rate for egg donors isn't $8,000, as stated. At most clinics, it's around $5,000 to $10,000 per cycle, and ASRM recommends a cap of $10K for donor fees. It is *very* uncommon for a donor to be paid more than that.
Finally, I think it's a bit of an overstatement to say that "[t]he world of egg donors is the Wild West of the fertility landscape." It is true that this is a self-regulated industry, but there are guidelines in place, and most clinics and physicians follow them.
I would agree that the donor pool is limited, but this is not only due to the fact that few volunteer but also due to the fact that many who volunteer are found to be unqualified to donate. Our RE told us that his clinic turns away 80% of those who apply for their in-house donor pool, on average.
S, yes that's why I said my head might explode! I already left some comments in the comments section at role/reboot. Didn't have the energy to post more. I hope you did!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for egg freezing, philosophically, yes, but as a failed IVF veteran and fertility patient IN MY TWENTIES, ugh, ugh, ugh. Also, assumes the goal is career and then partnership and THEN baby. That's part of my qualm. There are others I haven't worked out yet...
It's true that even women in their 20s experience infertility, and also that some women choose to take a non-traditional route to parenthood. BUT I think you'll agree that both these experiences are less common than infertility-after-35 and the path of career-then-partnership-then-baby.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that skeeves me out about egg freezing discussions generally (haven't read the link) is that it is an individual (and very flawed) solution to a systemic problem, that is, the problem of women and men being encouraged if not almost forced to focus on career, etc., to the exclusion of family. Egg freezing might well help a given set of individuals but does nothing to solve the real problem. (versus, say, subsidized childcare or realistic models for parental leave) Moreover, egg freezing is a solution that relies on immense financial privilege and, as you point out, health privilege. I wouldn't necessarily discourage a specific woman from trying it, but it has major problems as a generalized solution.
ReplyDeleteBionic, yes, yes, yes!
ReplyDeleteWhat I do think should happen, though, is that day 3 testing should be a routine part of every woman's annual exam...not a flawless solution (my day 3s were fine at 35, even though I couldn't manage to get more than 2 eggs at retrieval) but potentially gives a young woman knowledge about her actual situation.
Personally I think becoming an SMC young is a better option than freezing eggs for later use...but of course I'm biased :)