More women are freezing their eggs earlier than before

The average age for egg freezing has fallen from 37 to 35, and clinics report rising demand as awareness of age-related fertility decline grows.

At 35, Catrina Matheson chose to freeze her eggs after losing an ovary in her twenties and while still waiting to meet a partner. Clinics have recorded a drop in the average age for egg freezing from 37 to 35, which experts link to greater awareness of fertility decline with age and more medical referrals. Medical reasons such as endometriosis and prior ovarian surgery also prompt some women to pursue egg freezing. The procedure generally takes two to three weeks and includes hormone stimulation followed by surgical egg retrieval under sedation. Key points: - Adora Fertility reported a 48 percent increase in the number of women seeking egg freezing over two years. - Fertility specialists say age is the single biggest factor for conceiving and identify roughly ages 30–35 as an optimal window for egg freezing. - The process involves daily hormone injections, possible side effects, and a surgical retrieval under sedation. - Typical costs range from $4,000 to $10,000 per cycle, many women need more than one cycle, and storage fees are around $600 per year. - Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) testing reflects egg quantity but does not measure egg quality and is not a reliable standalone predictor of natural conception. - Modern freezing techniques can yield egg survival rates above 90 percent, with thawed eggs showing fertilisation rates around 65–70 percent, but not every egg becomes an embryo or leads to pregnancy. Summary: The rise in egg freezing reflects more women taking reproductive steps earlier, often for both personal and medical reasons, while experts emphasise that outcomes depend strongly on age and the number of eggs retrieved. Undetermined at this time.