18-03-2025
Consider freezing your eggs if you're in your 20s - it's less expensive than you think
Many women are having children later in life due to factors such as prioritising careers, not being read and the cost-of-living crisis. Last year, the UK fertility rate fell to the lowest it's been since 1970.
But, as most women are aware, there's a significant decline in a female's fertility from the age of 30, so it can become more difficult to get pregnant after this point. Nothing like a ticking biological clock to add to your mental load.
Love Island star Anna Vakili, 34, has raised awareness of future-proofing fertility by documenting her egg harvesting process on social media, admitting she "regrets" not starting the process sooner. "There is so much I didn't know about fertility in my 20s which I wish I did, but I'm still so grateful that I am able to do this now," she wrote on Instagram.
Elsewhere, Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison shared her egg freezing journey at 35 and received overwhelming backlash as a result of her honesty over not wanting children yet. "People were saying 'why don't you just have a baby now you've got a boyfriend?' It is so toxic and outdated. I know so many people who had children with the wrong men because they were scared that they were running out of time," she told the BBC.
"Why aren't we celebrating women who say 'this isn't the right time and I want to give my future children the best start in life'? It is so important we all know there are many different routes to motherhood."
Actor Florence Pugh underwent the same process last year at age 27, after she was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis and encouraged to get her 'egg count' checked.
"And I was like, 'No, what do you mean? I'm so young. Why do I need an egg count?'", she said, before adding: "I learned completely different information, at age 27, that I need to get my eggs out and do it quickly, which was just a bit of a mind-boggling realisation."
TV presenter Kirsty Allsop has encouraged women to have children during their 20s in the past, writing in a tweet: "If you want kids, if you are in your late 20s and if you are in a solid relationship and if you can afford it have kids. It does NOT get easier the later you leave it."
Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have (around 1-2 million), but this declines over time to around 400,000 by puberty and less than 100,000 by their late 30s. In your 20s, there are more eggs available to harvest and lower chromosomal abnormalities for instance Down syndrome risk increases from 1 in 1,250 at 25 to 1 in 100 at 40.
"Eggs retrieved before 30 have fewer chromosomal abnormalities, increasing the likelihood of successful fertilisation," Dr Deepali Misra-Sharp, NHS GP and women's health specialist explains. "As women age, eggs accumulate DNA damage, increasing the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage. Freezing eggs at a younger age captures them in their best condition."
One of the ways ovarian reserve is measured is by the level of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AHM) women have in their body. They have the highest level during their 20s, before this hormone declines in the mid-30s so by around age 37, 90% of women's eggs are depleted.
Dr Misra-Sharp explains that this means "younger women typically have higher AMH levels and better ovarian response, meaning more eggs can be retrieved in one cycle."
With the better egg quality and hormone health in your 20s, there's also a correlation with the likelihood of IVF being a success with these eggs. Dr Misra-Sharp continues: "When frozen eggs from a woman in her 20s are used later, success rates mirror those of a younger woman. By age 40, the miscarriage rate is around 50%, compared to 10-15% in the 20s."
In your 30s, fertility starts to decline for a host of reasons such as lower levels of AMH so less ovarian reserve and producing less quality eggs each month, so freezing your eggs in your 20s leaves lots of options open.
"Freezing eggs reduces the pressure of a 'biological clock', allowing women to focus on careers, relationships, or health before having children," Dr Misra-Sharp adds.
One of the main deterrents of egg freezing is the cost, but prices vary from clinic to clinic. On average it costs around £3,350 to have your eggs collected and frozen and then it's around £125 to £350 to store the eggs per year, according to Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority.
Acting early may also mean you're entitled to up to three rounds of free IVF on the NHS, which is capped at the age of 35 in some parts of the UK.
Compared to a house deposit, which averages around £36,000 in the UK according to Zoopla, the cost of egg harvesting is a much smaller savings goal that's also an investment in your future.
Dr Misra-Sharp adds: "For women considering egg freezing, the earlier, the better in terms of success rates. However, it is not a guarantee of future pregnancy, and individual factors like ovarian reserve, medical history, and personal circumstances should be considered.
"If egg freezing is an option, consulting a fertility specialist early can help assess AMH levels, ovarian reserve, and the likelihood of success."
Read more about egg freezing and fertility:
Fertility rate in England and Wales falls to lowest level since records began in 1938 (Sky News, 2-min read)
Plunging birth rate makes London UK's fastest-ageing city (The Telegraph, 3-min read)
Why Young People Need To Learn About Fertility Now More Than Ever (Huff Post, 4-min read)
