Fertility Preservation
Making the decision to preserve your fertility could be the most important decision you ever make.
Egg Freezing
Women need to consider if :
- not planning a pregnancy in the near future
- they have high level career requirements
- in their 30’s and want to have two or three children
- they have a family history of early menopause
- they have a history of ovarian damage, such as endometriomas, or removal of an ovary
- they require chemotherapy in the near future
Important Factors:
- The quality of a woman’s eggs decreases with age
- The earlier a woman makes the decision, the greater the benefit.
- The older the woman is, the more eggs need to be frozen to give the same chance of having a live birth.
- Frozen eggs can be stored for many years without harming them
How is it done?
The woman undergoes an Ovarian Stimulation cycle, exactly as if undergoing IVF, but eggs are frozen without fertilization.
Costs
Egg freezing may be covered by Medicare if medically indicated. Speak to your Ballarat IVF Fertility Specialist or Nurse for more information
Sperm Freezing
Men need to consider if they
- have a low sperm count
- are not planning on a family in the near future
- are planning on a vasectomy for contraception
- require testicular surgery or chemotherapy
- will be starting toxic drug treatment in the future
- use anabolic steroids at times
Important Factors:
- The quality of a man’s sperm decreases with age
- The earlier a man makes the decision, the greater the benefit
- Frozen sperm can be stored for many years without harming them
Embryo Freezing
Benefits of Embryo freezing
- Excess embryos from an IVF cycle can be safely frozen and stored
- Embryos maintain their potential based on when they were frozen, not the advancing age of the woman
- Ballarat IVF pregnancy rates for frozen embryos are the same or better than fresh embryo transfers
- Ballarat IVF provides the option for Duostim, a highly affordable option for women wishing to form numbers of embryos in a short timeframe
