Fertility preservation allows individuals and couples to do what was once impossible: delay starting a family. Using advanced technology, our fertility center in Tijuana can freeze eggs, sperm, and embryos. At EN FERTILITE, we provide empathetic care to each patient who walks through our doors and are personally involved in every treatment cycle.
A Look at Egg Freezing as a Way to Stop the Biological Clock
There are many reasons why a woman might want to explore egg freezing. Some women may want to delay motherhood to focus on their education, career, or finding the right partner. Others may face a diagnosis of cancer or another illness that involves treatment that damages fertility. Regardless of the reason, this form of fertility preservation involves the same basic steps.
Exploring Sperm Freezing as a Way to Delay Fatherhood
Sperm freezing is an excellent option for men preparing for a vasectomy, travel, or treatments that damage fertility due to diseases like endometriosis or cancer. This form of fertility preservation is relatively simple. The technology for sperm freezing has been widely available for decades and has been proven to be safe and effective for preserving fertility in men.
Embryo Freezing Can Be an Excellent Option for Couples
If a couple needs to delay parenthood for any reason, embryo freezing can be a great solution. This process involves undergoing an IVF cycle, which includes egg retrieval and fertilization. We can even perform a biopsy of some cells from the resulting embryos for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) before freezing them. For more detailed information about genetic testing and counseling, please refer to our article on reproductive genetic counseling.
Egg Cryopreservation
Egg cryopreservation is no longer considered experimental. It involves stimulating the ovaries with gonadotropins, undergoing an egg retrieval, freezing the eggs, and then storing them. The eggs can be stored for several years and, when ready to use, are thawed, fertilized with sperm to create embryos, and transferred to the uterus.
Who Would Benefit from Egg Cryopreservation?
Some of the patients who would benefit from egg cryopreservation include:
- Women diagnosed with cancer before undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- Women undergoing IVF for whom embryo freezing or cryopreservation are not an option for ethical, religious, or moral reasons.
- Women who must undergo surgery to remove their ovaries due to conditions such as endometriosis.
- Women with a family history of premature menopause who wish to freeze eggs before they are depleted at an early age.
- Single women in their 20s and early to mid-30s who wish to delay pregnancy due to pursuing professional or educational goals, not having found their life partner, or other personal or medical reasons.
Is Egg Cryopreservation for You?
If you are considering egg cryopreservation, we ask you to contact us to schedule an appointment, as your success rates will depend on several factors. The most important factors at play will be your age and your ovarian reserve tests. The younger you are and the more eggs you have, the higher the likelihood of success.
How Many Eggs Should You Preserve to Achieve Pregnancy?
In patients with a good prognosis, thawing rates of 75% and fertilization rates of 75% are anticipated. In women under 35, it is recommended to have at least 10 eggs to freeze, and 20 eggs if you are 35 or older. Unfortunately, women over 35 often require multiple stimulation cycles to be able to freeze this number of mature eggs.
Patients should be cautious and understand that there are no guarantees that they will have a baby even if they freeze this number of mature eggs. Additionally, not all pregnancies will result in a baby, as approximately 15% of patients will have a miscarriage.
Conclusion
At FERTILITE, we offer cutting-edge fertility preservation options to meet your individual needs in a compassionate and caring environment. Contact us if you would like more information about egg, sperm, or embryo freezing.
If you are considering fertility preservation in response to a cancer diagnosis, please let us know. We can coordinate so you can quickly start the process and do not have to delay your cancer treatment.
For same-sex couples interested in fertility options, we also offer information on the ROPA method, which is tailored to their needs. Additionally, those considering alternative fertility treatments like IUI can explore our comprehensive treatment program.