Extend Fertility has been at the forefront of the egg freezing conversation since our inception in New York City in 2016; we were founded on the premise of making the process affordable and accessible for all. Our approach to fertility preservation is and always has been data driven, individualized, and cutting-edge.

Over the years, thankfully, societal perceptions around egg freezing have improved, the stigmas have decreased, and patients are better informed about the benefits of preserving their fertility at a younger age versus later in life. But relatively few centers have published their experiences with egg freezing.

Proving the effectiveness of egg freezing at our center was the catalyst for our 8-year-long egg freezing study that co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Joshua Klein, and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Nataki Douglas, presented in October at the 2024 American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Conference. The study analyzed the results of more than 4,000 egg freezing cycles and confirmed that egg freezing works. Essentially, it’s an empowering way for patients to take charge of their family building timeline.

Here, using some key stats from the study, doctors Klein and Douglas explain how Extend Fertility pioneered egg freezing as standard of care, misconceptions about fertility preservation, and the importance of patient education (and good ol’ science, of course) around freezing your eggs.

What was your goal with this study?

Dr. Douglas: This study helps us validate what we knew was happening in our embryology lab; we know how to freeze eggs, we know how to thaw eggs, and our success rates match or exceed anything that has been published by other centers. We wanted to show that egg freezing is a scientifically sound approach for fertility preservation. We also wanted to show off our outcomes, and that individuals are waiting longer to start family building yet are being empowered at younger ages [to freeze their eggs]. It’s hugely important for us to give our patients this information and these options.

Just the facts: The average age of patients freezing their eggs has dropped from 37 years old in 2016 to nearly 35 years by 2023

What are some misconceptions about egg freezing this study helps dispel?

Dr. Douglas: One is that egg freezing doesn’t work and that it doesn’t lead to live births. That’s not true.

Just the facts: The pregnancy success rate – defined by “live births or pregnancies past 12 weeks” – was more than 55% per transfer for patients across all age groups.

Another misconception is that there’s a certain age by which you have to freeze your eggs. What we know and what our study shows is there’s no cutoff age for egg freezing, but at the same time, the younger you are when you freeze, the more eggs you’re likely to harvest, the more likely they are to be healthy, and the fewer eggs you need for a live birth. Freezing at a younger age is doubly powerful (get more eggs, need fewer); freezing older is doubly challenging (get fewer, but need more to compensate for more of the eggs being unhealthy).

Just the facts: 76% of our egg freezing cycles were done for individuals 33-39 years of age. With an average freezing age of 36 years, we showed that more than 90% of frozen eggs survived the thawing process, more than 77% of the thawed eggs fertilized, and 50% of thawed eggs became high quality blastocyst stage embryos.

Dr. Klein: By far the number one reason why people come to us to freeze eggs is because they don’t have a partner in their life, or some other reason they’re not ready to start their family. It’s not because they’re strapped to their desks and choosing a career over starting a family. I think this misconception undermines the idea that people can use egg freezing to empower their lives.

How has the conversation around egg freezing changed from stigmatized to empowering?

Dr. Klein: As an entity, Extend has been conscious in designing a system that’s focused on bringing awareness to egg freezing, including how it’s presented to [prospective] patients. We aim to put this conversation in front of people at a younger age in a way that’s palatable to them, which ultimately enables them to consider freezing eggs at a younger age.

Dr. Douglas: People are talking about it more. It’s becoming less stigmatized. The data proves that women are being empowered at younger ages [to preserve their fertility]. And we’ve found that this is the conversation that’s happening in young people’s peer groups, their friend groups, their work environments.

How much does patient education play a role in the egg freezing process at Extend?

Dr. Klein: We feel very strongly that educating everyone with ovaries about the concepts of reproductive aging and why egg freezing might be something they want to do is at the heart of our mission. But historically, egg freezing is a sensitive subject. And so, if you tell people, “You’re falling off the fertility cliff!” or “the clock is ticking!” that language is exploitative and can border on fear mongering. It’s important not just to educate [about egg freezing], but that we be sensitive, thorough, and respectful in doing so.

Dr. Douglas: One of the things that’s striking is we are given tons of information about how not to get pregnant. In high school, this is the focus of our health education and our visits with our gynecologist, and that has to change early on. Proactively thinking about your future fertility is just as important as thinking about how to avoid getting pregnant when you don’t want to be pregnant. It’s loaded with anxiety at times because the start of education about fertility preservation is coming too late. So, many people are saying, “gee, I wish I knew this earlier.”

Just the facts: The average age of patients electively freezing their eggs was 37 in 2016, down to age 35 by 2023.

What do you say to patients who may be anxious about egg freezing?

Dr. Douglas: Education is for everyone. Egg freezing may not be, but let’s start with a conversation about “fertility potential” and family building goals. The first step is understanding: Why should we test ovarian reserve? What does the testing tell us? What doesn’t it tell us? Then, we can discuss the potential for harvesting eggs for the family size you want and when you want to start. It’s a lot, but we fast forward and think, “In five years, will I wish I had done something [to preserve my fertility]?” I want to be available for multiple conversations [with my patients] about fertility preservation and family building goals.

Dr. Klein: We try to arm everyone with the relevant science to tackle this subject in a way they can feel comfortable and confident about it. The fear comes from the unknown, but we know so much more about egg freezing than we ever have in human history.

Just the facts: 50% of embryos created from the frozen eggs were genetically normal (euploid), which is a similar percentage of euploidy as fresh eggs.

Patients returned for their first transfer from thawed eggs at a mean age of 40 years.

We advise our patients to take the process one step at a time. Your fertility advisor and our team will guide you every step of the way.

Ready to learn more about egg freezing at Extend Fertility? No matter if you’re simply curious or ready to get started, reach out to our team with all questions. We’re here to help.

And learn more about Extend Fertility’s egg freezing study HERE.