A public consultation just launched by the Department of Health and Social Care into whether the UK’s current 10-year time limit on storing frozen eggs and sperm should be extended has been welcomed by fertility experts at the Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM).   

Dr Valentine Akande, who heads the team, said: “We strongly support this review because destroying eggs which could remove the possibility of women having children does not seem fair.  

“The thing is, eggs from a woman aged 25 which are frozen and stored will be of better quality than a woman’s fresh eggs 10 years later when she’s 35, so extending this time limit would have a really positive impact for many women.”  

The expertise of the team at BCRM, together with the use of the latest vitrification techniques, means that over 90% of the frozen eggs survive when thawed, sustaining the dream of motherhood for many women who choose or to have a baby in their thirties or early forties. The clinic has the highest success rate in the South West for IVF, with 33% of embryos transferred resulting in births.  

According to the latest report on trends and figures in fertility treatment by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (published May 2019), the number of egg-freezing cycles commenced in the UK has more than trebled in the period 2012-17, with just 410 egg freezing cycles in 2012 compared with 1,462 in 2017.  

Because of the current 10-year legal deadline, a woman who has had her eggs frozen is forced by the law to decide towards the end of this period whether those eggs should be destroyed or whether she wishes to try for a baby.  

Caroline Dinenage, the minister for social care, said: “Every person should be given the best possible opportunity to start a family, which is why it is so important that our laws reflect the latest in technological advancements.  

“I am particularly concerned by the impact of the current law on women’s reproductive choices. A time limit can often mean women are faced with the heartbreaking decision to destroy their frozen eggs, or feel pressured to have a child before they are ready.  

“As the number of people seeking this storage rises, we want to hear from the public about whether the law is fair and proportionate, and ensure everyone is empowered to choose when they become parents.”  

Any member of the public wishing to contribute their views on changing the time limit for storing gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos for fertility treatment can contribute at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/egg-sperm-and-embryo-storage-limits . The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 5 May 2020.