Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience
Abstract Introduction This study aims to assess the motivations and treatment experiences of women undergoing social egg freezing and to understand the impact of the Covid‐19 pandemic. Material and methods Between January 2011 to December 2021, 191 social egg freezing patients were recruited from th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14565 |
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| author | Sughashini Murugesu Mikaela Maria Charalambides Benjamin P. Jones Srdjan Saso Raef Faris Jaya Parikh James Nicopoullos Meen‐Yau Thum Timothy Bracewell‐Milnes |
| author_facet | Sughashini Murugesu Mikaela Maria Charalambides Benjamin P. Jones Srdjan Saso Raef Faris Jaya Parikh James Nicopoullos Meen‐Yau Thum Timothy Bracewell‐Milnes |
| author_sort | Sughashini Murugesu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction This study aims to assess the motivations and treatment experiences of women undergoing social egg freezing and to understand the impact of the Covid‐19 pandemic. Material and methods Between January 2011 to December 2021, 191 social egg freezing patients were recruited from the Lister Fertility Clinic, London UK. Participants completed a validated questionnaire investigating patients’ perspectives of social egg freezing. A response rate of 46.6% was achieved. Results In all, 93.9% of women expressed concern regarding age‐related fertility decline which influenced their decision to undergo social egg freezing. The majority (89.5%) of women were not in a relationship at the time of social egg freezing and considered this a motivating factor. Also, 39.0% of participants had side effects related to treatment which affected work and social life. Participants were significantly more likely to experience side effects if they underwent multiple egg freezing cycles (χ2, p < 0.01) or if they cryopreserved oocytes during the COVID‐19 pandemic (χ2, p < 0.05). Of the women, 64.0% wished to have cryopreserved oocytes at a younger age, a view significantly more likely if older than 37 years at first social egg freezing cycle (χ2, p < 0.001). Also, 82.3% of women reported their decision to undergo social egg freezing was not delayed due to concerns regarding COVID‐19 exposure during treatment; 44.1% considered the pandemic made them more willing to undergo social egg freezing. Conclusions Most participants did not regret their decision to undergo social egg freezing but the majority wished they had cryopreserved oocytes at a younger age. This highlights the importance of early education to optimize outcomes and patient choice. The egg freezing process can be stressful, women may have concerns around social egg freezing and unprecedented situations such as the COVID‐19 pandemic may alter treatment experience. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dfd9cfaac7ae41a0bd7545095bf1d00e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0001-6349 1600-0412 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica |
| spelling | doaj-art-dfd9cfaac7ae41a0bd7545095bf1d00e2025-08-20T02:09:34ZengWileyActa Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica0001-63491600-04122023-06-01102676077310.1111/aogs.14565Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experienceSughashini Murugesu0Mikaela Maria Charalambides1Benjamin P. Jones2Srdjan Saso3Raef Faris4Jaya Parikh5James Nicopoullos6Meen‐Yau Thum7Timothy Bracewell‐Milnes8Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction Institute of Reproductive & Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Imperial College London London UKDepartment of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Section of Investigative Medicine Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London London UKQueen Charlotte's Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus London UKDepartment of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction Institute of Reproductive & Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Imperial College London London UKGynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Lister Fertility Clinic London UKGynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Lister Fertility Clinic London UKGynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Lister Fertility Clinic London UKGynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Lister Fertility Clinic London UKGynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Lister Fertility Clinic London UKAbstract Introduction This study aims to assess the motivations and treatment experiences of women undergoing social egg freezing and to understand the impact of the Covid‐19 pandemic. Material and methods Between January 2011 to December 2021, 191 social egg freezing patients were recruited from the Lister Fertility Clinic, London UK. Participants completed a validated questionnaire investigating patients’ perspectives of social egg freezing. A response rate of 46.6% was achieved. Results In all, 93.9% of women expressed concern regarding age‐related fertility decline which influenced their decision to undergo social egg freezing. The majority (89.5%) of women were not in a relationship at the time of social egg freezing and considered this a motivating factor. Also, 39.0% of participants had side effects related to treatment which affected work and social life. Participants were significantly more likely to experience side effects if they underwent multiple egg freezing cycles (χ2, p < 0.01) or if they cryopreserved oocytes during the COVID‐19 pandemic (χ2, p < 0.05). Of the women, 64.0% wished to have cryopreserved oocytes at a younger age, a view significantly more likely if older than 37 years at first social egg freezing cycle (χ2, p < 0.001). Also, 82.3% of women reported their decision to undergo social egg freezing was not delayed due to concerns regarding COVID‐19 exposure during treatment; 44.1% considered the pandemic made them more willing to undergo social egg freezing. Conclusions Most participants did not regret their decision to undergo social egg freezing but the majority wished they had cryopreserved oocytes at a younger age. This highlights the importance of early education to optimize outcomes and patient choice. The egg freezing process can be stressful, women may have concerns around social egg freezing and unprecedented situations such as the COVID‐19 pandemic may alter treatment experience.https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14565COVID‐19experienceknowledgemotivationsregretsocial egg freezing |
| spellingShingle | Sughashini Murugesu Mikaela Maria Charalambides Benjamin P. Jones Srdjan Saso Raef Faris Jaya Parikh James Nicopoullos Meen‐Yau Thum Timothy Bracewell‐Milnes Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica COVID‐19 experience knowledge motivations regret social egg freezing |
| title | Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience |
| title_full | Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience |
| title_fullStr | Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience |
| title_short | Social egg freezing: Motivations, treatment experiences and the impact of Covid‐19 – a single‐center experience |
| title_sort | social egg freezing motivations treatment experiences and the impact of covid 19 a single center experience |
| topic | COVID‐19 experience knowledge motivations regret social egg freezing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14565 |
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