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Publicatie
A preliminary profile of women opting for oocyte cryopreservation for non-medical reasons.
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Introduction
As oocyte cryopreservation techniques are still considered experimental, the main professional bodies consider the non-medical use premature. However, fertility centres around the world have started to offer oocyte cryopresevation to healthy and fertile women. The major concerns are that women will deliberately postpone pregnancy, give priority to their careers and that it will offer a false sense of security that one is optimizing her chances of motherhood. With this study we try to construct the profile of the women opting for oocyte freezing for non-medical reasons.
Materials and methods
The Centre for Reproductive Medicine (UZBrussel) received 15 candidates who all underwent a semi-structured interview to asses their motivation to apply for this treatment and to evaluate whether they were aware of the risks and limitations of the treatment.
Results
The average age of the women at intake was 38.3 years (± 2.7, range 34-43). All women had a high educational level and stated they could financially afford the treatment. They all had had partner-relationships in the past and did not make their desire for a child concrete because they did not found the 'right' partner. 14 women were single and 1 had a recently ongoing relation. For half of them their latest relation ended only six months ago (45,5% n=5). The majority discovered the possibility to freeze oocytes because the topic appeared in the media and/or by searching on the internet (73.4%).
Before they discovered this possibility; adoption or staying childless were considered as alternatives by 26.7% of the candidates and becoming a single mother with the use of donor sperm by 46.7% of the candidates. However, except for one woman who had just engaged in a relationship, actively keep on searching for 'mister right' was the only valuable option. The main reasons to opt for oocyte freezing were; 'taking the pressure of the search for the right partner' (53.3%), 'giving a future relationship more time to blossom before bringing up the subject of child-desire' (26.7%) and for 33.3% it meant an 'assurance against future infertility'. All 15 candidates had shared their intentions with their entourage and none of them felt discouraged by their entourage to undergo this treatment. The financial costs (53.3%) and the use of hormones (26.7%) were considered as the main disadvantages of the treatment. However, all of them accepted they had to undergo a fertility treatment while being healthy/fertile and were even willing to repeat the treatment on average 2.14 (±0.36) times. The average age women thought of using their frozen oocytes was 43.4 years (±2.03). If they would find a suitable partner most of them want to try to become pregnant spontaneously, than perform IVF with fresh material and in last instance, use their frozen oocytes. If they would not need their oocytes 46.7% would donate them for scientific research, 13.3% would donate them to another woman, 26.7% was unsure about their destination.
Conclusions
Although candidates were highly educated and had been preoccupied with their careers 'not finding a suitable partner' as opposed to 'career achievements' was considered as the explanatory factor for their childlessness. Simultaneous to opting for oocyte freezing all women had engaged in an active search for the 'right' partner. The recent awareness of the possibility to freeze oocytes, the advanced age of certain women and the recent break-up of a relation were the pivotal events to opt for this treatment whereby women tried to buy a little biological time well aware that there is no guarantee of childbearing. Moreover, frozen oocytes were considered as very precious goods since even if they would meet 'mister right' in the near future they would only use the frozen oocytes in last instance, after having tried to become pregnant spontaneously. These findings can add to the formulation of guidelines for counselling for this very specific population.
As oocyte cryopreservation techniques are still considered experimental, the main professional bodies consider the non-medical use premature. However, fertility centres around the world have started to offer oocyte cryopresevation to healthy and fertile women. The major concerns are that women will deliberately postpone pregnancy, give priority to their careers and that it will offer a false sense of security that one is optimizing her chances of motherhood. With this study we try to construct the profile of the women opting for oocyte freezing for non-medical reasons.
Materials and methods
The Centre for Reproductive Medicine (UZBrussel) received 15 candidates who all underwent a semi-structured interview to asses their motivation to apply for this treatment and to evaluate whether they were aware of the risks and limitations of the treatment.
Results
The average age of the women at intake was 38.3 years (± 2.7, range 34-43). All women had a high educational level and stated they could financially afford the treatment. They all had had partner-relationships in the past and did not make their desire for a child concrete because they did not found the 'right' partner. 14 women were single and 1 had a recently ongoing relation. For half of them their latest relation ended only six months ago (45,5% n=5). The majority discovered the possibility to freeze oocytes because the topic appeared in the media and/or by searching on the internet (73.4%).
Before they discovered this possibility; adoption or staying childless were considered as alternatives by 26.7% of the candidates and becoming a single mother with the use of donor sperm by 46.7% of the candidates. However, except for one woman who had just engaged in a relationship, actively keep on searching for 'mister right' was the only valuable option. The main reasons to opt for oocyte freezing were; 'taking the pressure of the search for the right partner' (53.3%), 'giving a future relationship more time to blossom before bringing up the subject of child-desire' (26.7%) and for 33.3% it meant an 'assurance against future infertility'. All 15 candidates had shared their intentions with their entourage and none of them felt discouraged by their entourage to undergo this treatment. The financial costs (53.3%) and the use of hormones (26.7%) were considered as the main disadvantages of the treatment. However, all of them accepted they had to undergo a fertility treatment while being healthy/fertile and were even willing to repeat the treatment on average 2.14 (±0.36) times. The average age women thought of using their frozen oocytes was 43.4 years (±2.03). If they would find a suitable partner most of them want to try to become pregnant spontaneously, than perform IVF with fresh material and in last instance, use their frozen oocytes. If they would not need their oocytes 46.7% would donate them for scientific research, 13.3% would donate them to another woman, 26.7% was unsure about their destination.
Conclusions
Although candidates were highly educated and had been preoccupied with their careers 'not finding a suitable partner' as opposed to 'career achievements' was considered as the explanatory factor for their childlessness. Simultaneous to opting for oocyte freezing all women had engaged in an active search for the 'right' partner. The recent awareness of the possibility to freeze oocytes, the advanced age of certain women and the recent break-up of a relation were the pivotal events to opt for this treatment whereby women tried to buy a little biological time well aware that there is no guarantee of childbearing. Moreover, frozen oocytes were considered as very precious goods since even if they would meet 'mister right' in the near future they would only use the frozen oocytes in last instance, after having tried to become pregnant spontaneously. These findings can add to the formulation of guidelines for counselling for this very specific population.
Tijdschrift: Hum Reprod
ISSN: 0268-1161
Issue: 25 (supll 1)
Pagina's: 14-17
Jaar van publicatie:2010
Trefwoorden:psychology and counselling, social freezing, oocyte vitrification