Egg Freezing In India: Why More Women Are Talking About Fertility Preservation
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Egg freezing is gaining popularity in India as women delay parenthood. Experts explain ideal age, safety, costs, benefits, and who should consider fertility preservation.
Upasana Kamineni has helped spark national conversations around egg freezing and fertility preservation by speaking openly about her own journey.
Egg freezing has entered mainstream conversation in India, with public figures like Upasana Konidela and Sania Mirza openly discussing their choices. According to fertility specialists, this shift is driven by growing awareness, technological advancement, and women’s increasing control over reproductive planning.
Why Egg Freezing Is Gaining Attention
Dr. Madhu Patil, Consultant Fertility Specialist, Motherhood Fertility & IVF, Sarjapur (Bangalore), explains that the rise in conversations is happening for all the right reasons. More women today are comfortable delaying parenthood, whether for career goals, education, or personal choices and are looking at fertility preservation as a practical option rather than a taboo topic.
She notes that celebrity openness has played an important role in breaking stigma around age and fertility. Improved technology has also transformed the process. Modern hormone injections are safer, stimulation protocols are more refined, and results are more predictable than ever before. With advanced IVF centres now more accessible, egg freezing has become a realistic possibility for a larger group of women.
What the Egg Freezing Process Involves
Dr. Patil outlines a clear five-step process:
1. Consultation and Testing
This includes medical history, ovarian reserve testing such as AMH, and an ultrasound to count antral follicles.
2. Ovarian Stimulation
Hormone injections (FSH, LH) for 8–10 days encourage multiple follicles to grow, instead of the single egg that typically matures in a natural cycle.
3. Trigger Shot
A precisely timed injection helps the eggs complete their final maturation.
4. Egg Retrieval
A 15–20 minute procedure performed under light anesthesia using a fine needle guided by ultrasound.
5. Vitrification
Mature eggs are flash-frozen and can be stored for many years without compromising their quality.
According to Dr Patil, most women tolerate the process easily and resume normal routines quickly.
When Should Women Consider Freezing Their Eggs?
Women are born with a finite number of eggs, and both quality and quantity decline with age. Dr. Patil notes that egg quality remains stable until about 30, begins to fall gradually after that, and drops significantly after 35. By the early 40s, most women have very low reserve.
She identifies 30–34 years as the ideal age range for egg freezing. It can still be done after 35, though older women may require multiple cycles to achieve a good number of eggs.
Does Egg Freezing Improve Future Pregnancy Chances?
While egg freezing cannot guarantee pregnancy, it greatly enhances a woman’s chances of conceiving with her own eggs later in life. Effectiveness varies based on the woman’s age at freezing and the number and quality of eggs retrieved. Freezing earlier tends to yield better outcomes.
Is the Procedure Safe?
Dr Patil emphasizes that egg freezing is considered very safe. Mild bloating, cramping, or breast tenderness can occur during stimulation, but serious complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome are now extremely rare due to modern protocols.
Egg retrieval carries a small risk of bleeding or infection, but with experienced clinicians, complications are uncommon. Importantly, egg freezing does not deplete ovarian reserve, trigger early menopause, or increase cancer risk.
How Long Can Frozen Eggs Be Stored?
Dr. Manisha Jain, Fertility Specialist,Nova IVF Fertility, Chandigarh, explains that eggs can be stored for many years. Many countries require a renewal of consent after 10 years, which is why a 10-year limit is sometimes referenced.
Interestingly, only about 8–10% of women who freeze their eggs eventually use them. Many go on to conceive naturally, making frozen eggs more of an “insurance policy” than a guarantee.
What Health Criteria Should Women Meet?
Dr. Jain advises women to avoid smoking and alcohol for at least 3–6 months before the procedure. A healthy lifestyle is key, nutritious diet, good hydration, regular sunlight exposure, antioxidants, and a circadian-aligned sleep cycle. She also recommends limiting frequent use of painkillers or antacids.
Cost of Egg Freezing in India
In India, the typical cost ranges from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh per cycle, though it may exceed this if the woman is older or has a low ovarian reserve, since higher doses of medication or multiple cycles may be required.
Who Should Consider Egg Freezing?
Dr. Jain highlights two groups:
Medical reasons
Cancer patients undergoing treatments that affect fertility
Severe endometriosis
Women requiring repeated ovarian surgeries (e.g., for dermoid cysts)
Genetic conditions affecting ovarian reserve, such as fragile X premutation or mosaic Turner syndrome
Social reasons
Women delaying motherhood due to career or education
Those who have not found a partner
Women who are widowed or divorced
Emotional and Practical Considerations
Dr Jain says women must be emotionally and financially prepared. Egg freezing provides reassurance but not certainty. Many women may never need their stored eggs, and this possibility should be understood from the outset.
Swati Chaturvedi is a seasoned media professional with over 13 years of experience in journalism, digital content strategy, and editorial leadership across top national media houses. An alumna of Lady Shri Ram …Read More
Swati Chaturvedi is a seasoned media professional with over 13 years of experience in journalism, digital content strategy, and editorial leadership across top national media houses. An alumna of Lady Shri Ram … Read More
November 23, 2025, 22:02 IST
