Andrea Williams discusses 'social egg freezing' on Sky News
A 'pop-up' shop was launched last month in order to provoke discussion about fertility and egg freezing.
The shop, which was set up on Old Street between 29 February and 5 March, aimed to engage women in informed conversation around the topic of 'social egg freezing' in particular, exploring the medical and social issues involved.
It featured 'products' from a fictional beauty brand called Timeless, including a perfume line called 'Eau So Pressured', age defying serums that inform about fertility declines, and a '3-Step Solution for egg freezing'.
'Social egg freezing', which refers to women freezing eggs for lifestyle rather than medical reasons, is a growing trend, with some companies, like Apple and
Facebook, offering egg freezing as part of their employment benefit packages.
Christian Concern's Chief Executive Andrea Williams and others have raised concerns about the procedure, however, including its low success rate, and the ethical considerations of delaying motherhood in order to further a career.
Official figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority show that between 2008 and mid-2013 there were only 41 births from frozen eggs.
Further analysis shows that less than 2% of patients' eggs thawed between this time period resulted in live births. Of embyros transferred from frozen eggs that have been collected and fertilised, less than 13% led to a successful pregnancy.
'Increasing pressure'
The project Timeless was designed by creative consultancy The Liminal Space, which surveyed 1,000 women from across England, Scotland and Wales about egg freezing.
Sarah Douglas and Amanda Gore, Directors at The Liminal Space, explained why they decided to set up the project.
"With companies such as Apple and Facebook including it as part of benefits packages, and some clinics promising egg freezing as an 'insurance policy', there is increasing pressure on women to consider freezing their eggs without fully considering the potential impact on the workplace, their relationships and wider society," they said.
"With Timeless we are bringing this debate to people in a creative and engaging way."
'Reproductive autonomy'
The poll showed that of all women under 40, 71% agreed that egg freezing was justifiable to delay motherhood in favour of career progression.
The number was higher within the 18-24 age bracket, with 84% agreeing that improving career options was a good reason to freeze eggs, and 59% believing women should be encouraged to use egg freezing to give them more 'reproductive autonomy'.
20% of the 18-24 year-olds surveyed said they would consider paying £10,000 for the procedure, and that they were more open to it being offered as part of a corporate benefits package.
'Expensive lottery ticket'
The project drew on research and advice from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Emily Jackson, a professor of Law at explained that women need to be informed about the facts surrounding egg freezing:
"Does egg freezing represent an insurance policy against women's biological clock, or is it more like buying an expensive lottery ticket? Women (and men) need clear and accessible information not only about egg freezing itself, but also about age-related fertility loss."
'Breaking natural order'
After a report about the Timeless project on Sky News last Saturday, Christian Concern's Chief Executive Andrea Williams questioned what the promotion of 'social egg freezing' says about the value of motherhood and children.
"What is it we're telling our women – what are we telling them about their value? What are we saying about the value of children?
"We're trying to break into the natural order of things, and I think that has very serious repercussions."
She continued: "Let's just remember that children are a beautiful gift and the best way to have children is when there is a loving mother and father who are present and committed for the lifetime of that child."
'Children are not commodities that we choose or own'
Dr Rick Thompson of the Christian Medical Fellowship has also explored the concerns around egg freezing in a comment piece for Christian Medical Fellowship..
In it, he discusses the failure rate of the procedure, arguing that the procedure being offered as a 'corporate benefit' is deceiving:
"If we set alongside the low success rates considerations of financial cost – I doubt Facebook and Apple will cover the cost of the IVF procedures needed later – and the invasive, sometimes traumatic process of egg harvesting, including the risk over ovarian hyperstimulation, then what purports to empower working women usually proves to be a fantasy, and sometimes a costly one at that."
Dr Thompson also echoes Andrea Williams in highlighting that the procedure's increased popularity demonstrates a growing societal tendency to see children as hindrances rather than blessings.
"In Christian thought children are gifts, given to us to love and care for, no matter how inconvenient their arrival. They are not commodities that we choose or own," he says.
"Parenting is never 'convenient'. At the heart of good parenting is self-sacrifice, not a popular concept in a culture that values self-fulfilment so highly."
Related Links:
A Chilling Prospect (Christian Medical Fellowship)
Egg freezing 'parties' for women