UAE: Despite Dh15,000 cost, women freeze eggs to achieve life goals before motherhood

An emerging trend in both clinics and medical facilities in the UAE is the increasing number of women who opt for egg freezing. Since ages are looking at starting families later in life, this option has eased for them to be busy in life planning without the worry of infertility worries.

HealthPlus Fertility’s Director of Clinical Operations Jules McDonald in her 15 years of working in the industry assisted over 20,000 women with the procedure. Most of them say it is a good “backup plan”. And that is why this issue should be discussed by the doctors.

“We’re seeing a huge increase in the number of local people who are interested in egg freezing and asking how it’s done,” she noticed. “It is not something that is spoken about enough in society. Therefore one of the things we seek to do within our facility is that when women consult the doctors for whatever reasons, the doctors should mention egg freezing, find out if they have considered it, and plant a thought in their minds about it.”

Popularity and procedure

As per Dr. Aarti, this surge in interest has come about due to how the UAE came up with new statutes.

“One major factor is the change in the UAE’s IVF laws that came into effect in the year 2020,” she said. “Currently, the fertility centers are able to perform embryo preservation, oocyte, and sperm cryopreservation which allows women to retain self-declared control over their reproductive aging.”

There’s also been a normal yet strong outlook in the way women look at fertility and family planning. With increased information regarding fertility, women who wish to concentrate on their careers or other endeavors before settling down are more receptive to the concept of egg freezing. The shame that society once held regarding bearing children at an advanced age is gradually waning.”

Legal reforms in the United Arab Emirates in 2021 allowed the freezing of human embryos and human eggs for periods up to five years – extendable with the agreement of the relevant persons.

She too pointed out that more and more of the employers were encouraging women to take such steps. “There are more and more cases when the companies offer support for egg preservation and women are feeling more compelled to make the decisions about egg freezing,” she added.

Dr. Nayana has observed certain spheres of social media which contributed as well. “Many influencers and even doctors themselves are providing educational content about egg freezing,” she said.

“The interaction increases when such procedures are performed by a widely-known individual. For instance, several famous women such as Kristen Stewart, Priyanka Chopra or Emma Roberts have had it done and talked about it increasing the awareness.”

Challenges

As per Dr. Aarti, this surge in interest has come about due to how the UAE came up with new statutes.

“One major factor is the change in the UAE’s IVF laws that came into effect in the year 2020,” she said. “Currently, the fertility centers are able to perform embryo preservation, oocyte, and sperm cryopreservation which allows women to retain self-declared control over their reproductive aging.”

There’s also been a normal yet strong outlook in the way women look at fertility and family planning. With increased information regarding fertility, women who wish to concentrate on their careers or other endeavors before settling down are more receptive to the concept of egg freezing. The shame that society once held regarding bearing children at an advanced age is gradually waning.”

Legal reforms in the United Arab Emirates in 2021 allowed the freezing of human embryos and human eggs for periods up to five years – extendable with the agreement of the relevant persons.

She too pointed out that more and more of the employers were encouraging women to take such steps. “There are more and more cases when the companies offer support for egg preservation and women are feeling more compelled to make the decisions about egg freezing,” she added.

Dr. Nayana has observed certain spheres of the social media which contributed as well. “Many influencers and even doctors themselves are providing educational content about egg freezing,” she said.

“The interaction increases when such procedures are performed by a widely-known individual. For instance, several famous women such as Kristen Stewart, Priyanka Chopra or Emma Roberts have had it done and talked about it increasing the awareness.”

Plan Your Future: UAE Women Investing in Egg Freezing for Life Goals – Secure Your Options Today.To get the latest news subscribe to Just Dubai!