No Woman Should Ever Be Denied The Choice To Become A Mother
Feb 11, 2020
Whether or not we choose to become a parent, having a child is an individual’s fundamental human right. As society has evolved, so too has the notion of a set timeline when a man or woman should have a baby.There are still many questions for individuals and couples on when they will have children but ultimately, no one should have the power to dictate a person’s life choices or lambaste them for any decision they make about their own fertility.There are several reasons why a person may choose to freeze their sperm or eggs and we must respect them.It could be they’re going through a life-changing medical treatment, such as chemotherapy, or are living with another medical condition which may impact their chances of natural conception.Related...
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Decided To Freeze My Eggs
Under these circumstances, people are legally permitted to store their frozen eggs and sperm for up to 55 years.However, things are different if someone has decided to preserve these to use at a later date for what is currently classed in the jargon as a “social” reason.This could be because they do not want to rule out the option of having a child at some point in their life, but circumstance means they can’t become a parent at this stage.In this situation, as the person’s choice is not deemed “medical”, current UK law dictates their frozen eggs and sperm must be discarded after ten years.This is what I am becoming increasingly concerned by.We know women are more likely than men to take measures to “preserve their fertility” and it worries me to think their reproductive choices may be hampered by outdated legislation, which may rob them of their chance to become a mother.The data speaks for itself – the number of women choosing to freeze their eggs has increased by 257% in the last five years – with 1,462 egg freezing cycles in 2017 compared to 410 in 2012. If a woman wants to preserve her eggs, the optimal time to do so is in her twenties or early thirties.
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