In the Indian community, infertility is still associated with social stigma and shame and many women feel rushed into marrying or conceiving a child before they are ready for fear of facing complications later. However, fertility procedures like egg freezing are slowly catching the attention of Indian couples and single working women as viable ways to provide a sort of safety net and help them conceive later in life. Celebrities like Diana Hayden and Kabir Bedi’s wife Parveen Dusanj have already conceived successfully using their frozen eggs.

Egg preservation is a technology in which mature eggs are extracted and made to go through vitrification to preserve them for later use in IVF cycles when the woman’s eggs may not be viable due to decline in fertility.

Here are the top 5 reasons why women are opting to freeze their eggs for future use:

• To increase the chances of having a biological child later in life.

Single women or young couples may not want to get pregnant and have a child at the peak fertility for a variety of personal, professional or financial reasons. Egg freezing can provide some security to young people who don’t wish to or can’t have children till later. It can ease the pressure women often feel to choose between building a career, taking care of personal concerns or leading an independent life and having a family. Even tech companies like Facebook have started funding egg freezing services for their employees.

• To be able to wait for the right partner even after 30.

Many women are not aware that their fertility can start declining after 28 and falls significantly from 35. Many single women feel very pressured to find a life partner and start a family approaching 30 out of the fear that they won’t be able to conceive later on. A worse scenario is when women make the mistake of panic-partnering, in spite of not being satisfied with their relationship or their spouse, just to have a child. Egg freezing can be a good safety measure in case of women who are still in search of the right partner and don’t want to compromise on the quality of their relationship.

• To prepare for future infertility issues.

Infertility is gaining more awareness and recognition as a serious concern that shouldn’t be ignored or silenced. Women who have a family history of infertility or premature menopause or who suffer from existing conditions like PCOS may want to freeze their eggs as an added measure so that they don’t have to rush into a pregnancy. Egg freezing can act as a safety net for couples who want to prepare for future infertility problems or complications in conceiving and definitely want a biological child.

• Due to serious medical conditions.

Certain diseases and medical conditions may severely impact one’s ability to have a child naturally for a prolonged period of time. Recurring ovarian cysts or severe not only damage a woman’s fertility but can also render them psychologically or physically too stressed to have a child for a long time. In case of serious medical issues, egg freezing may be a necessary measure to make provisions for biological parenthood.

• Before undergoing treatment for cancer.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are aggressive treatments that can damage the ovaries. So, in the case of cancer patients or people who need to undergo intensive therapy or surgery egg preservation is important if they wish to still have a biological child in the future. Freezing their eggs can preserve their fertility while they recover from their illness and treatment.

Whatever the reasons for deciding to freeze your eggs, you must consider the matter only after evaluating all the circumstances and consulting with your fertility doctor and your partner. Egg freezing involves a lot of money and usually requires a number of cycles, so proceed with care after informing yourself thoroughly.