Published October 2022
Egg Freezing: The UK's fertility regulating body, The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), analyse data and measure success based on how many embryos (developed from a patient's own frozen eggs) result in a 'live birth'.
Information published in their latest statistical data, from 2020 outlines the trends and successes for Egg Freezing across the United Kingdom.
- Approximately 54,000 patients had 68,724 fresh and frozen in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles and 5,651 donor insemination (DI) assisted conception cycles at HFEA licensed fertility clinics across the UK in 2018.
- The average live birth rate per embryo transferred for all IVF patients in 2018 was 23% and rates have been steadily increasing over time for all patients under 43 years of age.
- Birth rates for patients under 35 were 31% per embryo transferred in 2018, compared to below 5% for patients 43 and above when using their own eggs.
- The 'live' birth rate per embryo transferred, remains above 20% for each of the first three cycles of IVF treatment.
- Donor eggs can considerably increase the chance of a live birth to above 25%, but only 18% of patients aged 40 and over used donor eggs in 2018.
- In 2018, the multiple birth rate decreased to 8% for the first time.
- Implanting more than one embryo has no significant impact on the chance of a live birth, but resulted in a 32% multiple birth rate for patients under 35.
- The number of egg freezing and embryo storage cycles have increased fivefold since 2013; to just under 9,000 cycles in 2018, as freezing techniques have improved and fertility preservation is becoming more commonplace.
- Levels of NHS funding for fertility treatment varies greatly across the UK with 60% of cycles funded by the NHS in Scotland and falling to less than 30% in some parts of England.
If freezing your eggs is something you're considering, advice from the HFEA is the earlier the better. The treatment’s success is greatly dependent on the age of the woman at the time of egg freezing [fertility preservation], with higher success rates in those aged 35 and under.
According to the data from the HFEA - the most common age for a woman to undertake egg freezing is 38 years of age.
If you are considering Fertility Preservation and Egg Freezing, get in touch with IVF Matters today to find out how we can help with Egg Freezing Treatment.
