By: Dr Bindhu KS  Updated: May 19, 2025 06:37 IST

2-Min Read

Egg freezing involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs and retrieving them

Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is no longer just a medical advancement. In cities across India, more and more women in their late 20s and 30s are opting to freeze their eggs. Many of these women are thriving in their careers, exploring passions, building financial stability, or simply waiting for a life partner who shares their values. For them, motherhood is not off the table-it's just not on the clock.

Medically, egg freezing involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, retrieving them through a minimally invasive procedure, and freezing them using a method called vitrification. The process typically takes around two weeks and is considered safe and well-tolerated.

Freezing eggs before the age of 35 offers the best chance of success, as younger eggs are more likely to result in a healthy pregnancy later. But even for those in their later 30s can also freeze their eggs.

Egg freezing is often seen as an empowered choice-delaying motherhood for career, personal growth, or the right time. But for young women diagnosed with ovarian or cervical cancer, it's not a lifestyle decision. It's a race against time.

In India, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women, and ovarian cancer, though less talked about, often goes undetected until it's advanced. These cancers strike during a woman's most fertile years-and the treatments that save lives can also destroy fertility. This is where oncofertility becomes more than a medical term. Fertility preservation before treatment might help. The window is short-often just a few weeks between diagnosis and treatment. But with the right support, a woman can freeze her eggs or embryos, or even preserve ovarian tissue.

The science exists, but the challenge lies in awareness and access. In far too many hospitals, fertility preservation isn't even mentioned. Integrating oncofertility into every oncology pathway, training doctors to act swiftly, and treating fertility conversations as essential-not optional might help spread awareness.

(Dr Bindhu KS - Sr. Consultant Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Robotic Surgery, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai)

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