Only about one in four Australian and New Zealand women use frozen eggs within ten years
A new study finds that just over one quarter of women in Australia and New Zealand who electively freeze their eggs return to use them within a decade.
A recent study of 20,209 Australian and New Zealand women who chose elective egg freezing from 2009 to 2023 reveals that only just over one in four returned to thaw their eggs within ten years, with the majority doing so after roughly five years. The research, led by Oisin Fitzgerald, notes that around 22% returned after five years and 28% after ten. Among the women who used their frozen eggs, about half required donor sperm and a third gave birth to a child.
The cost of a single cycle ranges from $7,000 to $12,000, plus annual storage fees. Experts such as Devini Ameratunga and Sherine Sandhu stress that accurate, evidence-based information is essential, as the procedure does not guarantee parenthood. Personal stories, like that of Anna Parle who successfully conceived after freezing her eggs at 37, illustrate both the potential and the variability of outcomes.
