Egg freezing parties are more popular than ever

Many more women, especially in the United States, are organizing egg-showers or egg freezing parties when they freeze their eggs. These celebrations are similar to baby showers, allowing women to gather with friends and family to mark the egg retrieval process—a stressful and costly experience that many feel deserves to be celebrated. The theme of the decorations and buffet, of course, revolves around eggs, as seen in numerous party videos posted on TikTok. Egg freezing is a technique that allows women to preserve their fertility for the future. In the past, this practice was mostly adopted by women facing health issues that put their future fertility at risk: by freezing eggs, their aging is halted, preserving their reproductive potential. Today, however, egg freezing is increasingly used by women without specific health problems; the reason is simply to ensure the possibility of having children later in life, when they feel it’s the right time—whether for career, financial stability, or relationship reasons, among others. This is known as "social egg-freezing".

An "Insurance" Against Infertility and Aging

Choosing to freeze one's eggs does not exclude the possibility of having children in the more traditional way someday. Egg preservation can also be seen as a form of insurance, to be used in case natural conception proves difficult. This practice garnered a lot of attention and curiosity about a decade ago, when Facebook and Apple launched programs to cover its costs for their employees. This allowed their female staff to focus on their careers without excessively worrying about their fertility as they aged.

What Egg Freezing Entails

Eggs are the female reproductive cells—also known as ova or female gametes—that, once fertilized by sperm, form an embryo. Every woman is born with a finite reserve of eggs, located in the ovaries, which mature during the reproductive years. With egg freezing, these cells are retrieved through a minor, generally non-invasive surgical procedure. The eggs are then stored in liquid nitrogen, where they can be kept for many years. Once thawed, a single sperm is injected into each egg: if fertilization is successful, an embryo forms and is implanted in the woman's uterus. This practice allows women to avoid being bound by the so-called biological clock, a term often used to describe the aging processes that cause women to become less fertile until they lose the ability to conceive altogether after menopause.

It's Not That Simple

Experts caution that reducing human fertility to a timer is scientifically inaccurate and can lead to misleading stereotypes, particularly against women. Men also face fertility issues as they age, which can affect a woman’s pregnancy. In nearly half of couples struggling to conceive, the issue lies with the man. For example, miscarriages are more likely when the father is older. Moreover, the average time it takes a couple to conceive is about 4 months if the man is under 25, and about two years if he is over 40.

The Current Situation in Italy

In 2021, 78,000 couples in Italy used these techniques. The average age of women undergoing this process is around 37. According to the latest report on the subject, published by the Ministry of Health, there are about 340 centers in Italy (most of which are private and affiliated) that offer egg freezing and storage treatments. The cost of preventive egg freezing in Italy can vary depending on the center and services included, but generally, it amounts to a few thousand euros, with several hundred euros added for each year the eggs are stored.