Egg-freezing clinics misleading women with only ‘slim’ chance

WOMEN are being conned into freezing their eggs at an age when there is almost no chance of success, research on British clinics suggests.

IVF centres were last night urged to act more ethically, after watchdogs found hundreds of women underwent the expensive procedure in their 40s, when it was unlikely to work.

The report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) found that clinics – which typically charge around £7,000 for egg freezing – had even authorised the procedure for those approaching 50.

The watchdog warned of a “steep decline” in fertility after the age of 35 and said there was a “very slim” chance of success for women who froze eggs in their 40s.

The HFEA report shows a five-fold rise in take-up of egg freezing since 2010. Women opting for the procedure – which typically costs around £4,000, plus storage costs of around £300 per year for a decade – have an average age of 38, the data show.

Of the 1,310 cases in 2016, 880 involved women over the age of 35 – including more than 250 aged between 40 and 49.

Across all age groups, just 18 per cent of cases ended up with a live birth, the watchdog warned, as it called on clinics to be more open with older women about the dwindling chance of success.

“The figures in this report suggest that some clinics are providing egg-freezing treatments to women over the age

‘In cases involving over-35s, we know there is a steep decline in fertility’

of 40. In cases involving over-35s, we know there is a steep decline in fertility and this has an impact on both natural conception and IVF success rates.

“Where women over the age of 40 are freezing their eggs, the likelihood of a pregnancy would be very slim,” the report warns.

Sally Cheshire, chairman of the HFEA, urged clinics to act more responsibility. She said: “Clinics have an ethical responsibility to be clear that egg freezing below the age of 35 offers women their best chance of creating their much longed-for family.”