Washington DC – The Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine today issued a committee opinion saying that oocyte cryopreservation, or egg freezing, remains an experimental procedure that should not be offered or marketed as a means to defer reproductive aging.

The report emphasizes that the currently available data are too limited to allow egg freezing to be considered an established medical treatment. However, many women understandably have an interest in this emerging technology as an elective fertility preservation strategy.

The committee recommends comprehensive counseling for any women who may be seeking egg freezing services. The report lays out ten points of information that should be provided. These include information about the treatment methods, fees, success rates and policies about disposition of unused eggs.

“With any new technology it is vital that patients understand completely what the process entails and the likelihood of a successful outcome. Women contemplating the use of egg-freezing technologies need to receive extensive counseling to help them make a fully informed decision,” said Marc Fritz, MD, Chair of the ASRM Practice Committee.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, founded in 1944, is an organization of more than 8,000 physicians, researchers, nurses, technicians, and other professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge and expertise in reproductive biology. Affiliated societies include the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, The Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons.�

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