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Regardless of their marital status, women in Singapore will soon be allowed to freeze their eggs for non-medical purposes. Egg freezing is a method used to save a woman’s ability to get pregnant in the future. Eggs harvested from the ovaries are frozen and stored for later use.
The introduction of the Assisted Reproduction Services Regulations under the Healthcare Services Act will allow women (i.e., aged 21 to 35) to undergo elective egg freezing by 2023.
Only legally married couples can use their frozen eggs to complete the process of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). This is in line with the existing IVF rules. IVF occurs when the egg is fertilized by the sperm in a lab for implantation in the uterus.
The Minister of State for Social and Family Development, Ms. Sun Xueling highlighted:
We recognise that there may be women who are not able to find a suitable partner when they are younger, but they still wish to be able to preserve the likelihood of conceiving when they marry later.”
Sufficient safeguards will be put in place to ensure that women are making well-informed decisions when undergoing egg freezing and IVF. For instance, women will be counselled before they freeze their eggs to educate them about the invasive nature of the procedure and its limitations such as the risk of having babies at an older age.
Apart from this information, the frequent questions regarding egg freezing will be answered. These questions include the following:
1. How long can the eggs be stored?
There is no limit on how long eggs can be frozen for medical reasons in Singapore. As freezing helps preserve the eggs, these will be as young and healthy as they were during the time of freezing.
2. When is the best time to freeze your eggs?
It is recommended to freeze your eggs before the age of 35 because fertility starts to decline as you hit your late 30s. The decline affects both the quantity and quality of the eggs.
3. Where are the eggs stored?
Frozen eggs are kept in tanks filled with liquid nitrogen. These tanks, called dewars, are stored in assisted reproduction centres.
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4. Is the egg freezing process safe?
Existing literature has not shown an increased risk of babies having birth defects because of egg freezing.
5. How much will it cost to freeze your eggs in Singapore for medical purposes?
The estimated cost of one cycle of egg freezing is about S$10,000.
6. What are the chances of having a baby after IVF?
Medical research found that the chance of a frozen egg leading to a baby being born is about 2% to 12%, according to Ms. Sun.
