Social oocyte cryopreservation: a portrayal of Brazilian women

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine what Brazilian childless women of reproductive age think about oocyte cryopreservation to postpone pregnancy and their reasons for performing or not performing this procedure. METHODS Women of reproductive age were randomly selected from the general population using different e-mail lists and were invited to participate in the study by completing an online web survey regarding social oocyte cryopreservation. The survey was also distributed through social media to women of reproductive age. RESULTS Although most of the responders had a partner (86.9%) and had already planned the pregnancy of their first child (69.6%), 85.4% (379) considered the potential of social oocyte freezing to improve their chances of giving birth later in life. Those that had already planned pregnancy were two times more likely to intend to freeze their oocytes (p=0.03). The most important barrier for not undergoing oocyte cryopreservation was cost. The women who indicated that they could not currently undergo the procedure now because of cost were two times (p=0.03) more likely to intend to cryopreserve their oocytes than women who thought that they would not need to delay pregnancy. CONCLUSION Brazilian women who think that they are not ready to have a family are discovering the option of oocyte cryopreservation. Most participants considered safeguarding their reproductive potential. Making the procedure more accessible could give women the opportunity to make proactive decisions about the future of their fertility.