Are you familiar with frozen eggs?

        Freezing eggs, also known as egg freezing, can preserve a woman's reproductive ability and is an important medical technology knowledge. It was not until 2012 that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recognized the maturity of egg freezing technology and began to popularize its application. In recent years, it has also become a popular topic in Taiwan.

                Medical freezing and career planning freezing

        1. Medical egg freezing: applied to young women at risk of cancer or premature ovarian failure

        With the increasing incidence of gynecological cancer, young women with cancer often face a dilemma between cancer treatment and pregnancy planning, as chemotherapy or radiation therapy may damage their eggs. To improve fertility, it is necessary to complete egg freezing and preservation for two weeks before undergoing cancer treatment. After the condition stabilizes, the eggs can be thawed for in vitro fertilization.

        Some young women may also increase their risk of premature ovarian failure due to ovarian cysts, previous surgery for ovarian cysts, familial premature ovarian failure, menstrual abnormalities, obesity, high stress, exposure to environmental hormones, and other factors. Ultrasound examination of the ovaries and blood testing for "anti Mullerian hormone" (AMH) can be performed to assess the health of the ovaries and the adequacy of egg inventory, and reproductive physicians can be consulted to evaluate whether egg freezing is necessary at this stage.

        2. Non medical purposes of "career planning egg freezing"

        Google and other companies in the United States have started subsidizing employees' reproductive health benefits to assist women who have reached childbearing age but are not yet mentally prepared to take care of their children. Through egg freezing, their eggs can stay at a healthy age, maintaining a balance between career achievement and family planning, and gaining control over life choices.

        Many YouTubers and female celebrities in Taiwan have also shared their experience of egg freezing, with most of the motivations related to women's autonomy, career planning, widespread late marriage, uncertainty about whether they want to have children, lack of ideal partners, pressure from peers to get married and have children, and pressure from elders to get married. In addition, if female same-sex partners or single women choose to freeze their eggs in Taiwan, they need to pair and donate sperm overseas in order to fulfill their dream of having children. The related demand for frozen eggs is worth paying attention to.

        If there is a consensus between spouses to have two or more children, they can also consider "fertility planning frozen embryos", which store young embryos with low chromosomal abnormalities and can be directly implanted into thawed embryos in the future. If you have difficulty conceiving or infertility problems, you should seek relevant medical consultation as soon as possible. However, it is important to note that the risk of complications during pregnancy increases with age at the time of embryo implantation. It is recommended to complete a fertility plan as early as possible.

        The timing and quantity of career planning egg freezing are key to success

        The most suitable age for egg freezing is between 30 and 34 years old. The younger the age, the more "good eggs" can be obtained in a single attempt, and the higher the CP value. As age increases, the number and quality of eggs will decrease, and the decline rate will be faster after the age of 35. The rate of chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage in future fertilized embryos will also increase.

        Older women may need multiple egg collections and additional medical expenses to achieve the desired number of eggs and pregnancy rate. If a healthy woman under the age of 30 has a high chance of natural conception, she may not need to consider it temporarily.

        Considering the survival rate and freezing age of thawed eggs, the Taiwan Reproductive Medicine Association recommends that if 20 mature eggs can be frozen, women under the age of 35 have an 80-90% chance of having a live birth, a 70% chance of 36-37 years old, a 40% chance of 40-41 years old, and a 10% chance of 44 years old.

        In addition, before freezing eggs, it is also necessary to fully understand the rights and regulations regarding the use of eggs. According to the current artificial reproduction law, in order to thaw eggs and undergo IVF treatment in Taiwan, one must have a legal marital relationship. We look forward to the government opening up more diverse solutions in the future, so that more women can benefit from Taiwan's excellent reproductive technology.

        Egg freezing treatment course: about 2-3 weeks

                Preliminary assessment: medical history, blood draw, and gynecological ultrasound examination.

        Induced ovulation: Ovulation injections are administered from the 2nd to 4th day of menstruation, accompanied by 2-3 tracking of ovarian follicles and hormones.

        Egg retrieval surgery: When the follicle is mature enough, a needle is used to break the egg, and the surgery is performed under anesthesia 34-36 hours later. Using ultrasound guidance, eggs are extracted through the vagina and sent to the laboratory for evaluation. They are then immediately stored in liquid nitrogen at -196 ℃ using vitrification freezing technology to prevent the formation of ice crystals. Due to the short surgical time, hospitalization is usually not required, but it is still recommended to return home and rest on the day after surgery. A small number of women may experience ovarian bleeding, infection, or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

        Egg freezing cost and annual freezing preservation fee

        The cost of egg freezing includes ovulation medication, egg retrieval surgery, anesthesia, egg freezing, and egg preservation fees. The total cost varies depending on the type and dosage of ovulation medication used per person, as well as the number of eggs frozen. The egg freezing treatment at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital requires self payment, and the embryo preservation fee must be paid annually (please contact the Reproductive Medicine Center for details); The embryo storage period is 10 years, and currently there is no limit on the egg storage period. In addition, starting from July 2024, the New Taipei Egg Freezing Subsidy will be implemented, and Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Reproductive Medicine Center can provide medical egg freezing subsidies for cancer patients under the age of 40 in New Taipei.

        summarize

        Eggs age earlier and silently than a girl's appearance. Whether you have heard of or thought about egg freezing, you can first understand the purpose of egg freezing and the rights and regulations for using eggs. If you intend to freeze eggs, it is recommended to preserve healthy eggs as soon as possible to alleviate anxiety about fertility. If you are unsure if you have a need for egg freezing, you can also seek the assistance of a reproductive medicine physician for examination and consultation. Wishing every female surname the opportunity to make more confident and comfortable choices between career, education, dreams, and parenting.

        Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Reproductive Medicine Center: https://sites.google.com/view/reproductive-and-infertility/%E9%A6%96%E9%A0%81

        *Dr. Liu Xinmei's expertise includes: reproductive infertility specialist, in vitro fertilization, egg freezing, embryo freezing, minimally invasive endoscopic gynecological surgery, hysteroscopy surgery, cold knife hysteroscopy surgery, prenatal examination, menstrual abnormalities and menopausal health care, smear examination

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