Is egg freezing for you? You’ll have to consider the cost, which is, gulp, not cheap. But first, as you may already know and as The Mayo Clinic explains, egg freezing consists of a woman’s eggs being harvested from the ovaries and then frozen (before being fertilized), and placed in storage for use at a time in the future. The egg can be thawed, fertilized with sperm, and implanted in the uterus — a process known as in vitro fertilization, or IVF.
According to Business Insider, the price tag on a single egg freezing cycle is a whooping $6,000 to $20,000. That hefty fee covers tests, hormone injections, oral medications, and egg retrieval surgery. The toughest pill to swallow: A woman pays this amount whether or not the cycle is successful in producing viable eggs. An average woman goes through 2.1 cycles, which equates to $30,000 to $40,000. But those aren’t the only fees involved. Here’s what else you may pay for if you’re considering freezing your eggs.
Egg freezing associated costs
Assuming you don’t plan to use your frozen eggs right after retrieval, you’ll have to pay an egg storage fee, which annually runs at least $600 (via US News & World Report).
What’s more, consider that unless you are freezing your eggs for medical reasons, insurance may not cover the costs. And egg freezing costs do not include fertilization, more hormone injections, and medicines needed for an embryo transfer cycle, or the transfer itself, not to mention the cost associated with early pregnancy monitoring, or pregnancy in general. Business Insider reports this can cost an addtional $18,000.
Despite the incredibly high cost of egg freezing, this is becoming an increasingly popular option for women who are delaying pregnancy for a variety of reasons (career, waiting for the right partner). And many women have success with egg freezing. Although results are far from guaranteed, the likelihood of becoming pregnant from implantation are 30 to 60 percent, depending on the age at the time the egg freezing was performed. That’s right — even though you’ll age, your eggs do not.
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